Meeting somewhere else
by GloomyMoodsAndInspiration
Summary: A wellness week in Moscow, old friends, new friends, some troubles...something like that
1. Chapter 1

Chapter 1

"You´re kidding!"gasped Carol folding her arms in front of her chest looking horrified.

"No, I´m not. You know that." Retorted her good friend and co-worker.

"You´re sure that it shall be me? Not your father? A boyfriend? What´s about relatives?" she tried again.

Mary shook her head and explained.

"No. Dad´s in England- searching for relatives. And you need holiday. Your thoughts _need_ to be free. Think outside the box. Here you are always focused on cases."

_That´s why_, Carol thought.

"Who gave that idea to you? I´m going to arrest him." she said instead of speaking out loud what she really thought.

Mary inhaled deep and grinned.

"It was one of these guess-who-is-the-bad-boy-stories on the radio. Where a story is read and the dear listeners are able to guess who the murderer is. Hundred times easier than reality, if you ask me. The prize was a ´Wellness-Week´ in a hotel somewhere in Moscow-for two. And I won it! You should be happy for me!" in one moment her expression was overly excited and in the next she made a sad face. "But please, please, please, please, please. It´s just a week." Mary pleaded.

Carol hated herself for agreeing to that plan.

"Oh my, okay. Someone is going to replace me. But if there is just the slightest trace of danger down here- I´m gone," she warned.

"I know." Although she smiled, because she knew more. She promised to herself that her friend will have a wellness week.

"When are we leaving?" asked Carol, not really wanting to know the answer.

"In four days. Half past six in the morning. We will be there at eight o´clock." Now, Mary Blythe wasn't a high educated and great psychologist anymore, but in that case, a pretty normal human.

* * *

"But why?"

"You´re supposed to be the shrink, not me." Replied Alex, hoping not to have to explain something more.

"You are sending me away. So, you are supposed to explains this." He replied.

"We decided that you need a bit free time." Alex sighed.

"We means Ben and you...so in the end...just you."

"Paula, Kev and me." She hated it when he squeezed it all out of her. After all she was not a criminal.

"What if there is a new murder-case while I´m away?" he asked in hope to tip over her decision.

"Tony! It´s just a week. And before you desperately wanted to help me, I already absolved ten years of successful police work. We´re not sending you to the other end of world. It is Moscow." She stretched the o extra long.

"Sounds as if you´ve got some other ideas, too?" he asked.

"First I thought of India, but Paula said that you need someone to go with you...Russia is very nice in autumn, you know."

"When exactly, you´ve planned my holiday?"he tried not to sound insulted.

"Tomorrow, in the early morning hours." She smiled a bit regretting.

"What exactly is meant by ´the early morning hours?´"

"So, that you can eat lunch there." Alex headed for the door.

"How shall I get there?"

"Already arranged. There is a bus picking you up at the airport, unloading you at the harbour. A ferry is transporting you to the hotel..." she opened her bag and searched for something.

"Here, take care of it."

Tony took the little package and looked at from every side. It was buff, nothing more.

"What´s that?" he asked waggling with the package.

"A card game."

"Ah yes, a card game." Before he could even think of asking Alex more questions, she was gone.

"A card game- why not?" he repeated.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

Alex smiled to herself. She was happy that she had persuaded Tony to leave Bradfield for a week. Even if it was just a week, but he´d accepted her plans. For now. She was aware of having deceived him. He would have to stay at this hotel. If he wanted it or not. Willy-nilly

She was pretty sure, that if he had arrived only once, he would like it.

Alex liked that hotel. Cause of some lectures, she´d already been there several times. All of the staff members were nice and recommending.

It was great that Kev and Paula had accepted her suggestions at once, and helped her to put it into reality.

But she still asked herself, why Paula had blocked India since the second she´d mentioned it. Alex always had thought that Tony liked Asian food. So what speaks against India? She truly couldn´t see the point.

Paula had said something like: "I´m not sure if this is the best one... Yeah, India is great but not for just one week and alone...somehow."

For a fraction of a second she had thought of her travelling with Tony to India, but something else inside her had dismissed that plan. Very much if she was honest. She couldn´t truly understand herself in that part, and she knew that she hadn't to try it again in the next few month. Understanding the own personality was the hardest thing someone could do.

Alex felt a wet tip on her hand. She sighed and watched up to the clouds. They built up a seemingly solid and strong layer over Bradfield. Ready to let it rain cats and dogs. Her pace automatically quickened.

Not even ten second later the light drizzle turned into a steady rain. Now she moaned and opened her bag. _Somewhere inside there should be my umbrella_, she thought. While searching for that ´damn but very helpful´ thing, Alex was not paying attention in which direction she went or what happened around her. Finally she found it. With flair she quarried it outside and pressed the open-button with her thumb. The synthetic cover slid twenty centimetres forward and opened with a loud ´whomb´.

"Wow! Someone´s attacking me." She heard a male voice shout and then laugh.

Immediately, without wanting it, she blushed. A bit ashamed, she hold her umbrella over her head, to see the victim out of her attack rolling his eyes.

A young man, maybe at the same age like herself, watched at her with great curiosity. He was dark haired, got brown eyes and an oval face. All in all very attractive, she noticed.

"I´m sorry. That wasn't planned." She said.

"Don´t be." He replied.

For a few seconds no one of them found a word to speak, so an uncomfortable quietness settled between them.

"Ah...yes. My name is Michael..." he said, a weak attempt to introduce himself. But he still smiled. Alex couldn't help but smile in return.

"Great Michael, please don't get it wrong, but I´m in a hurry. My son is waiting." She explained already leaving.

"Was nice to meet you." He called behind her, still smiling.

"Me too." Reflexively she waved at him and immediately cursed herself for that silly reaction.

_Always smiling today Alex, aren't you?_ She asked herself while heading forward to her car. She has to admit that this Michael was really gorgeous. But the percentage of ever meeting again in such a big city was about 0.03%. ( A percentage she´d invented to have something to rely on.) Anyway, why should she ask for him? Having a twelve year old son to take care for, a complete own Police Task Force to be obeyed, the death of her mother- happening just a few month ago- to deal with and a best friend, called Tony Hill still dealing with a cannibal attack already were enough things to manage. Something like a relationship would destroy that balance.

* * *

A short chapter…

I hope it´s not too confusing

Sorry for mistakes!


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

The plane was almost totally silent. No one of the passengers were talking, most of them slept. All roller blinds were pulled up.

Carol was reading a magazine Mary gave her an hour ago. Even if she looked at the letters and illustrations, the picture she saw was completely different.

She saw a world map including the little island she´d left four years ago. She fixed the island and went north of its capital. Her thought focused on a city. An industrial city. She now could see the different streets. Then her concentration turned to a house. It was big, even very tall. A clinical centre. In front of it were parking lots, the main lots. But beneath it, there was a small street where you were able to park your car, too. Right there, in one of those lots was standing a man in front of his car searching for his keys. Another car came into sight and stopped about twelve metres away from that scene. A woman got out of it and went straight to the man. She tried to introduce herself but recognized that his keys were still in the lock. He thanked her and got in his car. When his door was closed he recognized that she probably wants to talk to him. So he began to roll down the window down. But after the first twist the handle broke. A little bit astound he watched at it before throwing the handle on the back seats. The woman smiled amused. Cause there was now no other possibility to talk he opened the door. Through that was uncomfortable, too. He decided that it will be easier for a conversation to get off the car, but the woman had a pretty similar idea and got in. Now it was the other way round. He was standing outside and she was sitting in his car. The woman laughed and...

"Carol, you´re still alive but not answering my question!" That voice destroyed the picture in front of her and made her wince in her seat.

"Jesus!" reflexively not to shout she pressed a hand in front of her mouth.

Mary continued not paying attention to her reaction. "Wow, she´s back. So, why did we become co-workers two years ago? As you consulted me, remember?" she helped as her friend was not answering.

"I...er..." as fast as possible Carol collected the right thoughts. "Burnam Noktasi was sure that we got two culprits-I was sure that it was just one and that he had murdered before, several times. One of my Team, I think it was Scott suggested to call a profiler in. If Noktasi was right it would be his case and he could decide if we need the profiler anymore or not. If I was right, I would get the case and the profiler would stay as long as needed. That´s why we send you an invitation. And your first sentence as saw our white board: ´Your killer is a good one.´ Singular. My case. You stayed. That ´s all." She shrugged.

"What´s about your brother?" Mary asked in a quiet voice.

"My brother?" again she almost shouted.

"Yep. He isn't mine, is he?"

"So you searched for me i the internet?"

"Argh! I´m so silly, remember me when we´re back. Searching for you in the internet is a good one."

"I definitely won´t." said Carol in a harsh voice. "How you found out about my brother?"

"He called. I almost got a heart attack when I heard a male voice saying: ´Dear sis,...´ "

"Oh Michael, I told him not to call between six am and six pm

"Michael...mh, nice name."Mary mused.

"Yes." Carol agreed.

"He´s younger then you, right?"

"Got you. You searched for me in the internet!" exclaimed Carol.

"No, just your brother."

"My brother." She repeated slowly.

"IT- specialist. Cool. Your dad is a lawyer. You were mentioned, too...some of your team and that there s a replacement..."

"Aha." Said Carol.

"What was her name? Or his? No, her. Something with A... Her family name is Fielding. Was it Anna? No... Alicia? No...wait...A...but it was something with an A and an l. So, Al...Alina? No...wait...I can remember it, I know it...A...Al...Alex? Yes Alex. Alex Fielding!" she inhaled deeply.

"You really cant remember names." And for the first time in her life Carol was glad about it.

"Maybe it is an abbreviation for Alexis or Alexandra. Like Mary and Maryann, mh?" she asked.

"Might be possible." Mumbled Mary.

"DI Fielding is working with an profiling expert, you know?" she continued

"You googled her, too?"

"Why not? She leads exactly the same team you did."

"Is she?" Carol asked in a monotone and almost bored tone.

"Yeah, but before I was able to read a bit more my computer egan to send smoke messages: Black-Out. Black-Out."

Carol chuckled.

"Why you´re here? You never told?" marked Mary.

"Pf...I needed some new decicions and free time."

"Your co-worker?" Mary guessed.

"I don't think that they even miss me. No, an old friend."

"Are you going to tell more?" asked Mary.

"Nope." Smiled Carol closing her eyes. "No I won´t." Becaus she was already far away with her thoughts she answered Marys next question a bit too honestly than she wanted.

"Are you going back?"

"No, I´m neither dominant nor submissive." This was her decision. Her life. There wasn´t a second chance. Or a third. And there never will be a dominance-submissive fight in her live again.

Mary began to analyse the first real helping information she´d got.

What´s with you and your old friend? You two talked about relationship, right?

The short argument with Mary led Carols thoughts back to the scene. That´s why I´m here, Tony. Knowing nothing is easier than knowing just some little pieces and hoping to be someone I never can be. Why you hadn't told me about the tumour? I thought-think-that you don't trust me anymore. Then you talked about Paris and don't wanted me to cry. As you asked me it was too late. I fought almost six years for it and lost. I´m sorry.

Discussing like that she fell in a dreamless rest. As she opened her eyes again, Mary was flipping through the pages of a book. The aircraft, slowly and constant loosing height had woken her. "Welcome to Moscow..."

**Again, I´m sorry for mistakes.**

**Fort hat fiction Edmund Arthur Blythe is still alive. **


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

It was almost half past ten when the ferry arrived at the hotel. A little bit stiffen and dazzled Tony got out of it. Being on water for more than half an hour was not good for his health. First he inhaled two times and then looked around, rarely remembering the crossing.

Analysing the other guests hadn't helped him. But because of that he knew that there was another ferry arriving tonight. The there wouldn't be any for the whole week. There was no other possibility to have a flight from this little island: These small, little and damn fast boats weren't allowed and swimming wasn't a good attempt either.

The young lady with the green bags and coloured hair had a secret relationship with the business man trying to make his wife take part in as much competitions as possible. Even if she was more interested in climbing on some ´artificial rocks´ he wants her to visit some lectures about the river and the hotel itself.

He´d overheard a conversation, which was not very calming, too. He will be stick here the whole week and with a huge stroke of bad luck he would stay here much longer. He can´t even call, cause there also existed no connection to the outside. All needs for complete and undisturbed refreshing.

_Thanks Alex_, he thought, _that´s another way to get rid of me_. This thought made him smile a bit. It somehow was really funny. _Then enjoy it._

"Sir, might I ´elp you with your luggage?" asked one of the overzealous porters in clear English, but with a still strong accent. Out of his voice, without even seeing him, Tony could tell that he was not older than twenty-five years old. He turned to him. The porter had got short messy black hair, dark brown eyes, a very pale face with freckles. Tall about 190 cm in heights, a slim figure and a boyish grin...but friendly and in a way...welcoming?

Tony pointed at his not too big holdall next to the three blue plastic bags. "I think, the fine old lady over there is the desperate one. I can do that on my own, no worries. Thank you."

The young man nods once, mumbled a "You´re right, Sir" and was gone.

At the reception the man behind it had on speech after another. His perfectly laid down brown hair, looked a bit like a wig. He was about forty years old and seemed very passionate in doing his job.

"...room 107, part B. Second floor. The lobby is..." Tony ignored him concentrating on the key bundles behind him. Except for his room, the room 108, part B; 302, part A, 222, 94, 62 and 410 were reserved for this week. Taken were all from number 110 to 200 and some other room-groups; probably some congresses stretching over weeks. Then he shortly glanced at the light brown table. The darkest kind of furniture in this room. All other tables-even the flowers- all got a light yellow or faint pink colour.

"If the weather is too bad, it might be possible that the ferry will not be able to cross the river. In that case, you´ll be forced to stay another week-free, of course."

Tony now concentrated at the ceiling. Interesting patterns, he marked.

"...and have a comfortable week." The man finally ended and reached for Tony´s keys. Smiling, he gave it to him.

"Thank you very much" mumbled Tony, as if he had really paid attention, took his luggage and went to the lift. After a few seconds the doors opened. Inside it shone in every golden and bronze colour. A ´ding´ told him that he´d arrived at his floor. Again the door swung open and Tony went out. Going along the blue and crème painted corridor he searched for his door.

As he finally found and opened it, he unwillingly smiled.

All the walls were painted in the same tone like his walls back home. Then Tony bumped his bags on the bad and went down again. When he wanted to survive this week, and really be refreshed at the end of it, then just if he searched for enough places and rooms full of people to analyse.

The dining room! Anyway, lunch time was near.

´BENE SIT TIBI´ was written in light golden-yellow letters on the door of the dining room. Latin? Why Latin?

In one point he was glad about Alex actions: Here he could think of her, without being disturbed or caught-mainly by Paula. At the same time, _this_ was the reason why was frightened in having nothing to do, no case to concentrate on, no one to analyse. He doesn't want to admit that a long time age his student, Laura was right. And now, he doesn't want to find an answer why she was gone.

Tony opened the wing doors and went in. A warm smelling of potatoes mixed up with some kind of meet greeted him. The tables were mainly placed at the side and in the middle of the room, a giant Buffett dominated.

Again the walls were painted in all kinds of blue, lightened up with some golden and silver lines.

* * *

Mistakes are not voluntary.

I need your help:

Why no one´s answering my poll? I really am wondering about it. Maybe the mistake is just appearing in the german translation, but it would be nice to know what her eye colour is (given by Val McDermid).

I started writing this and ´Seven years later´ before I started reading ´fever of the bone´. So, I´m sorry if there are some complications in relation to the book. (But I´m not going to change anything.) There probably will be some similarities with book, too. But the basic structures were written down, before beginning to read. (In german, but written down)


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5

The rain irregularly tipped at the windows. Inside Ben was arguing with his mother. It seemed like one of the typical conflicts between a mother and her son.

"But Mom! You promised it." Ben stemmed his arms on the table and glanced at his mother.

"Please Ben, try to understand it..." Alex gestured vaguely in the air.

"No, there is no case, otherwise Anna would be here. You´re just too lazy to go swimming with me!" Ben shouted.

"I´m not . Besides, you have holidays. We can go tomorrow." She inhaled deeply.

"We can´t."

"Why?" Alex was somehow tired and not in a mood to argue.

"Tomorrow you probably have got a case and then we can´t."

"You can go with Anna." Once she was mentioned.

"But I don't want to! I want to go with you. It has been so long since we did something together. "

"Not true. Last time we..."Alex trailed of recognizing that the last time they did something together was a very long time ago. "Oh...oh, ok. We are going swimming."

Twenty minutes later they parked in front of Bradfield Sport Centre, or short BSC. Now it was just drizzling.

"Isn´t this already wet enough?" asked Alex as they walked to the entrance.

"No." Replied Ben hurrying to the door before it closed. The welcoming warmth greeted them.

And another twenty minutes later they stood in front of the big swimming pool.

"Swimming!" Alex grumbled.

"Come on mom. We got just four hours." Ben gripped with his left hand her right wrist and pushed her to the water. But Alex whirled around and gripped with her left hand his right wrist.

"No, no, no, don't even think of it."

"Ok." Ben said went to the ladder and stepped slowly step after step in the water.

"It´s cold, isn't it?" called his mom from the safe, dry outside.

"Quite warm, but still refreshing."

"Great. I´ll wait here." She sat down at one of the chairs.

"You are going to swim with me, if you want or not. I´ll find a way. Promised." Ben called back and began to dive.

While waiting for Ben´s plan to get her in the water Alex looked around. Maybe there would be someone she knew. After a while she let her thoughts flow away and closed her eyes. Maybe they should visit an aunt or uncle or cousin. This week and the next Ben had got holidays. They could stay a bit and talk. But how to talk about police work? It was fascinating, horrible, dangerous and the perfect job for her. Her aunt worked as something like a theoretical physicist. It might be boring at some times. Her uncle was a talented cook. And her cousin tuned cars. Last time she´d visited him Ben was just a few month old and she´d come to tell them about her divorce. Not the best reason for a visit. But she had done it personally. First she told it them and then her own parents. They first were mad with her, but then understood and respected her decision...

Because she had closed her eyes, she can´t see what was happening.

Ben, again, stopped breathing and dived down. _That´s so unfair, _he thought. _Mom is so unfair. She promised it. _With no warning he bumped into something or someone. He gasped for air as he finally stopped diving.

"I´m sorry. That wasn't planned." Said a male figure smiling down at Ben, making sure he hadn't harmed Ben in even the simplest way.

"Hey, my mom always says this when she excuses herself and she doesn't know the one she is excusing to." Ben said breaking into laughter.

"Really, yesterday I met someone saying the same...but that´s unimportant. My name is Michael and you are...?"

"Ben, Ben Fielding."

"Nice name." Michael commented.

"I can introduce you to my mom. Maybe she knows the one you met yesterday."

So the two of them climbed out of the swimming pool to see Alex still with closed eyes smirking to a hidden thought. As Michael saw Ben´s mom he had to smile. So _that lovely little boy is yours,_ he asked in his mind.

They stopped in front of her. Michael cleared his throat and said: "Ben, are you sure that she´s your mom?" Loud enough for Alex to snap out of her daydreams.

"Ben is my son, and if you don't believe me..." she rushed through her words and then for the second time on that day she trailed off. _What about my 0.03%_

"Mom, this is Michael. Michael, this is Alex, my mom." Ben explained.

"Hello Alex, nice to meet you." Michael said and sat down beside her without even asking.

"Hello Michael, nice to meet you." She repeated.

"Mom doesn't want to go swimming with me." Ben commented. Michael looked searching into Alex eyes before answering with a question. She stared back.

"She doesn't want?" he asked in a teasing tone.

"I don't want." Alex repeated untouched.

"That´s sad." Commented Michael shaking his head.

"Why?" Alex propped slowly up.

"Your son will be disappointed."

"Argh, well. Then I´ll come. But it might need a while before I´m completely in the water. Can be a long while." She warned.

"I don't think so." Said Michael.

Alex sighed. "You don't?"

"I don't."

"Why?"

"Why not?"

"I asked first."

"You answer first."

"Stop to do that!"

"Do what?"

"Irritating me"

"Irritating you?" Ben chuckled. _Behaving like little kids,_ he thought. That Michael was adroit. Is going to be be a funny abidance.

"Yes you´re irritating me."

"I am irritating you?" he asked as if he had even realized that he had displeased his counterpart.

"Yes."

"Why?"

Now she ignored him. Alex stood up, folded her towel carefully before glancing one last time at Michael. It was a warning signal. He should listen to it. "Come on Ben, we´re going swimming."

But Michael followed them. Ben jumped in the water within seconds.

Again she stopped in front of the water and grumbled "Swimming!"

"I´ll help your son." Said Michael behind her. Alex who had forgotten him jumped in surprise.

"Never ever do that again." She hissed.

"Do what?" Michael asked with an innocent face.

"That. Affright me."

"I´ve frightened you?"

"You affrighted me. That is a big difference."

"Is it?"

"Please, stop that."

"Ok" he said, but yelled in the next moment "Watch out-" and slightly touched her shoulder.

"What?" Alex reflexively gasped and turned to him.

"Not to fall in the water. It might be wet." He said in a playfully softness. Already giggling.

"You won´t." She whispered hissing like.

"I will." And in the next moment she felt herself flying and then the wet surrounding.

"That´s part of my payback." Michael said grinning after he jumped in the water, too.

"This was just an accident." She gasped.

Discussing with Michael if his payback was authorised or not and making little challenges with Ben the last three hours passed in a blur. And the water wasn't cold at all.


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6

The man behind the entrance table cleared his throat. It was oblivious that he wished the situation away. He knew from experience that some of his guests were very...stubborn, in a quite negative way. He hoped that the two women, one grinning slightly and the other staring at her like she was mad weren't this kind of guests. At least, it didn't seem so.

"I´m so sorry, but there is a technical problem in the room supposed for you. Because of this difficult we had to change your room. It isn't now number 108 anymore. And the other free rooms are all reserved or not available. So we decided to give you the complete O-A."

"I´m sorry, but what is an O-A?" the dark haired women asked and smiled a bit confused. For every movement she made her black curls whirled around her head.

"The Apartment – outside the basic hotel. It normally is used as the celebration apartment. Private occasions like marriages, anniversaries, or birthdays. It has got ten single and two double beds. All waterbeds. Four bathes. Stretched over two floors, every single divided again into two parts." While he explained the structure of the house he could tell that the blonde woman wasn't listening. She stared at the keys, then at the ceiling, at the desk, the keys again and back to the ceiling. It felt like a déjà vu to him. Someone else had done the same this morning. He recalls a blurred memory. A man. Black haired. But he knew that this man had carefully listened, while she doesn't even want to listen.

The bad news where successfully told, so he could start with his well studied text. As he reached the ferry-can´t-cross-over-part he saw the first reaction of the blonde. She glanced at the black haired women, which was not impressed by her accusing look. Her eyes were hard as steel. A little bit anxious he continued. Without even blinking the blonde also continued staring at her companion. He almost felt sorry for the black haired woman. She got caring, brown eyes, following thoughtful every movement he made... Finally he had finished his story. The blonde hadn't moved at all, but the black haired woman smiled at him warmly.

"We will enjoy our visit. Thank you. Have a nice day."Her brown eyes smiled, too.

"A porter will help you to carry your luggage." He said.

"Oh, that would be nice. Again, thank you."

"I can do it on my own, thank you very much." He was surprised. The blonde spoke _and_ smiled. Her steel grey eyes lit up. It seemed like she never had been...sad? Angry? Or was it nervousness? Maybe she just was a bit shy... Whatever the cause of her silence was, it disappeared as fast as it occurred.

He ordered a porter to help them. Together they left the entrance hall. The poor porter unwillingly became witness of an argument which would have disapproved all the former receptionists' musings about Carol.

"Why haven't you said anything." The blonde began glancing fiery at the other woman as soon as the doors had closed behind them.

Mary made a sad face. "Otherwise you would have stayed with your work. And you would have let me go alone."

"With good reason. If somebody calls, I can´t recall to say I´ll help him. Because I _can´t_ help him. What if something happens down the station? What if there is a new case? We can abdicate your work. You´ll find something else to work on. I know you. But I am their leader. I need to be there if something bad happens. " It don't mattered to Carol what Mary was planning. She was away from work and had no chance to get back.

"You have got furlough, holiday, vacation...whatever you want. That means you´re away from work." Mary reminded her.

"The last time I got furlough, holiday, vacation...or whatever you want I closed the contract to work in South Africa. Furlough, holiday, vacation...or whatever you want means big change and I don't want another change. Not again. Before my last I never really had got furlough, holiday..."

"I got it, thank you. You´re a workaholic, that is not new to me." Mary sighed. "There is a bit more. There is a very bad ´til impossible cell phone contact to outside. The same like internet. But the TV channels shall be great, right?" she asked nodding to the porter.

"I´m afraid your friend is right, Madam" Said the porter to Carol.

She grumbled something indefinable.

"Which room is ours?" Carol asked when they stood in front of the building. The porter coughs back a chuckle.

"It is all ours. Have you listened?" Mary knew about her word for word memory.

"No, first time I did was when he began to talk about ferries."

The porter sighed and unlocked the door. Mary said smiling "Thank you for your help." Gave him a bit money, waited until he was out of sight and then opened the door.

They stood in a big room looking like a living room. "Green? I like Green." Mary said commenting the wall colour. Carol went straight to one of the bedrooms to put her stuff away.

"Welcome back" Carol marked sarcastically as she saw the colour of these walls. Why the bedroom? Why not the...the bath? "I´ll take the other, you can sleep here." Same damn colour. A dark brown-red. "Walls colour like the one of my old friend had." She explained before Mary could ask for more.

"All right, have you seen a CD player?" she asked.

"Yeah, on the little table."Carol answered sounding a little bit hypnotised. But suddenly collected herself again and asked clearly. "You took your CD´s with you?"

"Just the ones I´m listening to while doing my work. Must be about two, four, six, eight, ten, twelve..." Mary said counting them by laying the CD´s one after another on her bed. She heard Carols sigh out of the other room.

"Let me guess. Something classical and a rock-pop group or best of whatever the title is. I don't understand how someone can work with music. It is a distraction."

"It helps me concentrating on cases, murderers and victims. These are all tapes. I recorded the whole last week-" she heard Carol stepping in her room and added an "-end. Weekend."

"Sorry."

"Let´s pack out later. I´m hungry. Tonight is a play and a lecture about it all. But we just can go to one of it. I think we should visit the lecture. It is always interesting knowing a bit about where you live. But a play may also be very interesting. Had you known that there is one ´vegan day´? Tomorrow we can go for a walk. Or if the weather is fine we can go climbing. And if it is warm enough we can go swimming outside. Otherwise there is a house own pool and a fitness-club..." there were so many choices.

Carol only nodded all the time. It didn't matter to her what it was. She desperately wanted to leave that house. Now.

_Without Tony it will be a nightmare. Where are you? How are you? I really miss you._ "O God. Please, we have to go out. My thoughts aren't listening anymore. They whirl around without making sense." She knew she lied to herself. But that was unimportant. _Why am I thinking about you? I wanted to get through this week without thinking of you. It´s just a week Tony! But what are you doing? Claiming my thoughts? As you always do? "_I have to go out."

"Eh, ok. I´ll take this as a pro for the lecture if you don´t mind." Mary said as Carol hastily left the room. "Or was it a yes for the play?" she called after her. She heard the click of the door.

"The lecture." Mary said to herself.

At the same time they entered the dining room. The room separating was pulled almost close. So the other part of the dining room was not visible.

"Nice wall colour." Mary commented. Her friend just nodded once. "I like blue too. It´s comforting. Somehow." No answer. Since they´ve left the house Carol wasn't saying a word. But this time not because she was angry with her.

"I bet t is a group of doctors, I mean real doctors." Mary again commented and pointed to a big group dressed in white. Not expecting an answer.

"No, these are chemistries. And the other big group over there, these are philosophises. And these four are surgeons. It was written down at some folders laying at the entrance desk." Carol explained monotone.

"Ah, instead paying attention to the important things you read documents not belonging to you?" Mary asked and took to dismiss of all the kitchen helpers her food alone on her plate.

"Interesting mixture. Your food, I mean. You don't think you did the same?" _Researching my life? Everything what I left behind me?_

"Hey, it´s an official website. Everyone is allowed to read this."

"If it would be that important, I would tell you. Can we sit down here? It´s not the best day to push us the way to the other side."

"Your choice..." Mary sat down with her back almost touching the room separating.

"You were right. I finally can think of something else." Carol said, watching the large group of white dressed men sit down on a big table.

Must be a bad break up with and your friend... Or was it your colleague? "I know, I´m always right."

"Then visit the lecture, ok?"

"You forgive me?" Mary asked.

"I think so, yeah. Can you speak Russian?"

"No but I know a bit about English," she grinned shortly, "French, Afrikaans, Swahili ...I´m sure there plenty more. Or all I need to have conversation with the whole African continent. Dad can speak almost every language which is linked to the Slavic languages. Fluently. And my ex also could." She knew she was lying, she also knew that Carol knew she was lying. But that was why she mentioned it.

"Why are you lying about your ex?"

"You do it too. All the time. I don't even know his name. Or your former work colleagues. You tell me absolutely nothing about them. Or your co-worker, being a psychologist, like me. It might be interesting to know something about someone doing the same like me. You never answer my questions."

Carol sat there, showing no reaction. "I´m sorry, I just can´t talk about me. I don't like it. If I tell you, you´ll see that there is nothing."

"Then tell me about nothing."

"You will be disappointed. But I won´t tell."

"Answer me that question and I promise, I swear, I won´t ask you another this week." Mary pleaded.

"And don't research my life." Carol added. It was dangerous telling someone like Mary something about her indefinable relationship. She could take another, but at the moment she wasn't able to remember any of her former relationships.

"Deal." Mary agreed.

"...deal. We weren´t even a couple or whatever you think. We´re just very good friends: helping and understanding each other. I swear, not even a kiss. My colleagues: I miss them all. We were a good team. Last but not least my co-worker: We worked well. But as you said he now works with DI Fielding. Mh, but I think, the time that passed, she already must be DCI." Carol stopped, but Mary still looked at her forcing. Like she ´d missed an important part. "Oh, right I forgot I shall tell you their names: Tony, then Paula, Chris, Stacey, Sam, Don, Kevin and Dr. Hill-clinical and forensic psychologist. " All in all seven persons, she added in her mind.

"But..."Mary started. Carol shook her head, interrupting her.

"No but. I said you´ll be disappointed."

"I have to admit. I´m disappointed, but just a bit." Mary took a sip of her wine, "Your co-worker"

"Former co-worker.", Carol corrected.

"Former co-worker is both, clinical and forensic psychologist. I´m just forensic and Dad is just clinical, you know." Both, must have had a difficult childhood...

"I think that he hadn't studied something like interpreter, before switching over to psychology." she said avoiding to look up.

"Might be true. But you got someone to trust in. Someone who does not belong to your family. I always see through them and immediately know that this relationship will run off into space." Mary sighed sadly.

"You´ll find someone. Maybe is this your big change." Carol laughed, covering a trace of being caught in her deepest fears, rose her arm and gestured around the room. "Maybe not your ´love´ but someone like," she mused a bit. "like a big brother taking care of you."

"Yeah. As if he would just sit behind this separator." She giggled, leaned back and wobbled the blue cotton that it looked like the ocean on a light windy day.

"As if..." Carol agreed.

**Hope there aren´t too much mistakes in it. I´m sorry for all I made…and will make :)**


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 7

On the other side of the room Tony just decided not to go round and ask who made the curtain bump against his back several times.

Dining alone was somehow natural to him. He was used to it, what didn't mean that he liked it very much. But being alone was easier. He needn't to wear his ´mask´ as he named it. Sadly every advantage pulls a disadvantage with it. Dining alone made the time go by slowly.

He shortly glanced outside the window. In its reflection he caught sight of different figures, sitting, standing, laughing, talking and some yellow orange dots, dancing on the dark background. It was already dark outside, something you can rely on in autumn. He knew the dots were the flames of candles, shining warm. Chasing away the autumn chill with their reassuring light spread out over every single table. He stared at his table again, sunken deep into the flames of his own candle. A light blue danced around the black wick, changing place with a dark orange and several different shades of yellow. The little but strong flame flickered in every breath he took. Just a bit. Slightly, but it did. He concentrated right on the point where the wick ended. He could have watched this play for eternities. It had something familiar.

But an unknown voice disturbed that quiet moment.

"Pardon, Sir. Can I have the seat beside you?" the obtrusive female voice asked. In the last moment he remembered not to recoil, but to smile politely. He remembered the woman with the green bag. Too much make up to be decent, he now quoted. She looked like an overdressed fashion-queen and was about ten years younger than himself.

Tony forced an apologizing smile. "You can have the whole table if you want. I was going to leave in the very next moment."

She blinked three times, obviously a bit angry that he hadn't accepted that kind of invitation. "Please."

He got up and cleared his throat. "Besides, I guess your lover is waiting over there." He waved at the business man and his wife. Caught their attention and pointed at his companion. Both began to smile, a proof that she wasn't aware of his affair.

The woman gasped. A sign of being caught. "He isn't my lover. I´m his secretary. Where do you want to know? Who do you think you are, saying such things?"

"I´m positive that you two regularly have a little bit more work than necessary." He said without answering her questions.

"Wherever you know it, he loves me." she snarled.

"Then why is he still married? He does not only cheat his wife he cheats you too with her."Tony explained.

She looked dazzled. Slow mind. He sighed inwardly.

"I bet he hadn't told her about you." Step one, make the reaction safe.

"Surely he hadn't."

"Hypothetically, if she ever asks him if he´d got an affair, what do you think he will say?" Step two, show a part reality.

"No." she was assured he never would tell his wife.

He nodded once. "Don't you think that he still has an own sex live with his wife?" Step three, turn the page.

"He said he hadn't."

"You asked him and he answered what?" Step four, show the whole reality. Or at least let them think you do.

She gave no answer. The pair was near the table now.

"He lies at his wife, don't you think that it might be possible…mh?" Tony asked, making an innocent face. Step five, let the new ´reality´ settle down.

"Not true…I…he…she…it…we…" she was kind of speechless, something what was a key that she would explode in the next moment.

Psychology is like magic, just a thousand times better.

"It´s: I, you, he, she, it, we, they. Goodbye." Smiling he disappeared around the separator. No one was sitting on the other table.

Tony recalled Alex card-game and headed for his room. He let spill out all the content of three plastic bags before he found the small package. Looked at it for a while and then opened it. The first he saw was a coloured sheet not belonging to the game.

He pulled it out and almost immediately saw Alex hand writing on it.

"Tony! If you read this, it means you have too much time. You shall enjoy this week and not stay in your room. These are some pictures I made last time I was here. There was a partial-eclipse over Moscow and clear nights. Not a card game, but photos. Quite beautiful I think."

That was all. He folded the sheet as often as possible and unfolded it again. Then he stood took out all the cards also called photos and sat down on the floor. Seeing from the corner of his eyes the window, he leaned his back on the other wall.

The first was almost black, there was just a thin white sickle. Anyone who wouldn't know that this was an eclipse would say that this was the moon. This was because they wouldn't look in detail. If this would be the moon, where were the stars? There weren't any clouds on the picture, so, if this would be the moon-which it was not-there must be stars. Just someone who looked into detail would miss the stars and conclude that it was a fake or an eclipse.

The next was one of dark night and showing all the stars that got ´missing´ in the first picture. He could discover the Plough out of a whirl of light clouds. Not as much as the lightest day in Bradfield would ever allow.

He watched through the window. Tonight was a clear night too and dark. Not so bright like Bradfields nights. While watching his thoughts seemed to become like those clouds. Light, seeing everything, free…

The sky over South Africa must be different, he thought. Everything must be different there. Beyond all questions it must be warmer and sunnier there. Seasons must be the opposite way round. Are the nights that dark, too? There are other stars on the southern hemisphere. Which? _Which stars do you see every evening? Do you sometimes look in the night and wonder how life changed? Do you ever remember or ask yourself what´s happening here? Do you ever look back?_

He sighed heavily. These were the wrong thoughts, but he couldn't help it.

"Which stars do you see, Carol?"


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter 8

"And these rocks are artificial?" Carol groaned. Mary had that kind of dialogue with the man who original was insisted to hold the speech since half an hour. It was interesting, she had to admit, but Mary really widened the theme a bit too much. The man was able to talk about the animals and climate in that area exact hundred and twenty minutes without any disturb or anyone interrupting his speech. Not even a whisper. Keeping the attention on the words he spoke. He was a bit too small to be a sportsmen. But he talked with such a passion she rarely found anywhere.

"Yeah, we use them for climbing…." Carol again, not listened. She watched at the other guests. They all seemed to be very interested in that dialogue. The seat next to her, on the left, was empty. Whoever there sat, the guest out of room 107, was not there. Maybe at the play that is tonight, she wondered. Or in the restaurant, having a nice date tonight?

"A last question for now," Mary started. "I remember some Latin letters on the entrance door for the dining room? Why is it Latin, I mean were in Russia."

"Good question, the wife of our founder was born in Rome. It is a memorial of where she was from." What followed was a detailed description of the founders and his wife´s life. And why it was Latin and not Italian. Carol sighed and Mary was going to ask another question.

"I thought that was your last?" Carol hissed in her direction. It already must be half past eleven.

"It wasn't as you see. Who´s now the leader of this hotel?"

Carol could have sworn that she´d heard something outside the conference room, though no one else seemed to hear it. It was a kind of noise she had heard often but she can´t yet say where.

"Excuse me, I have to go to…" she mumbled in what was Mary´s direction and headed out of the room. Carefully she closed the door behind her. Every light was turned on and she could tell that it looked kind of chaotic. The noise was louder now. But still in the background. She followed it through the lobby, the dining room, into the kitchen. Plenty of people, about twenty, stood in kind of trance, before someone sank down to the floor. She heard an awful scream.

"Bro! No, no. Who was it? Who…" Carol heard the man broke into crying.

"What had happened here?" she asked in a low voice, seeing nothing but backs of people she ordered into the group of chemistries and philosophies. One of the aprons turned to give her a not reassuring answer.

"One of the philosophies is dead…" that was enough for Carol to hear. She raised her voice, so that everyone could understand her clearly.

"Don't touch the body. It´s a murderer case now." As pointless as it was to say it, she did. "Everyone of you stays in the kitchen until I say something different." She had attention from everyone and pulled her ID card. "Chief Constable Carol Jordan, Johannesburg." CCCJJ had Mary once told her.

All went a step backwards except for the crying man lying next to the dead body, he now pressed his bag against the cream white cupboards. Seeming more scared than before. It´s interesting, she thought. _As soon as they know you´re from the police, they respect you more than they normally would ever do._

"Who is he?" she asked into the group.

"Den Parker, a chemistry moved to France two years ago to see his brother after six years. The…eh…his brother, Salmon Parker philosophy, studied in…Belgium, before moving to…eh…Bergues." A woman, about Fifty years old told Carol while nervously nibbling on a handkerchief.

"Who are you?" Carol asked. Stay polite, but keep a harsh tone in your voice.

"Merylin Sobata, guide of the chemistry … group. It is an every year meeting from all over the world. W…we discuss new and old problems."

"Mrs. Sobata, would you please be so kind and run to the conference room. A colleague of mine— Dr. Maryann Blythe— tell her she´s needed, please. And come back with her. I can´t leave as you see. You are all witnesses now. If you have seen something or not, that´s unimportant at the moment. Unfortunately you are all suspects at the same time. You probably have got some kind of relationship with our victim. So, please, sit down on the chairs, or even on the table. I need your observation reports."

They sat down before someone asked in a rough voice. It was the man sitting on the floor. "My brother…what´s going to happen to him? Will…" she knelt down beside him laying a hand on his shoulder

"Mr. Parker…Den…you´re in a shock. Your brother was killed and it didn't seem like an accident."Great amount of brutality, if you ask me. On his forehead was a big read wound, already a bit dry. Covering his short black hair in a sticky red lump. Something thin, sharp stuck in his right thumb. "You were closest to him. Tell me everything about him you know."

Den Parker began to tell slowly and quiet. Sobs interrupting is sad report at every fourth word. A constant rhythm. "He loves his job. I… I always tease him that he someday will just wake up to come up with some the… theories about life. He´s Twenty nine now. Sing… single, broke up with his girlfriend three month ago. He loves doing every kind of sports ´It´s good to think.´ Sal…Salmon always says."

At the same time Merylin Sobata knocked at the door of the conference room. She heard a ´come in´ in at least four languages and opened the door.

It was quiet. Everyone stared at her like she was a danger, at least it felt to her like she was. "I shall say to a Dr. Blythe that you are needed."

"Oh, that´s me." She heard a young woman call. "I´m really sorry, Sir, but I am in need as you see." Mary jumped up. She knew the signs. If someone looked like this it never meant something positive. Then she really was in need. When is a Profiler needed? When there is a psychopathic killer having murdered at last three times, and maybe when you are on an island and there is a sudden murderer.

She hurried to that old woman. Whispering- that none of the others could hear her. "Are you sure? Dr. Blythe, not someone else?"

"No…Dr. Blythe…I was told."

"Then we shall hurry." She smoothed her expression and turned to the visitors of the lecture. "I am sorry for leaving, but I´ve got my reasons. We´ll see you all tomorrow again. Now go to bed and sleep tight. It´s going to be a long night" and a bad rhyme, she added in her mind.

"What happened?" she asked as they had closed the door behind them. If Carol let someone call out for her-something she rarely does- meant she wasn't able to do it on her own and that means she was busy. That proofed her murderer theory.

"My…our…a philosophy… is dead. Murdered, I guess. Eh, somehow…" her nerves lay blank.

"Then bring me to the body, please." Mary said.

"Eh…yes."

Without talking they made their way to the kitchen. The door was open. Just one half of the kitchen was in need. The not used one was separated by different kettles. Some big, others smaller, stacked over each other to build a wall. On a desk were several papers in a mess and at least six persons writing something down. Carol talked to an older man. The others were sitting in one queue, not talking to each other but staring in the room with an empty expression on their faces.

"You took your ID with you. Cheater." Mary exclaimed to get Carols attention. "Where are we here?"she asked then.

Carol repeated everything she´d discovered yet. "Look at the body yourself. The MO is interesting. It´s over there. Nothing changed yet. Head hit. Probably with a blunt object from behind. No fight, at least no traces for a fight. " She pointed at the self made kettle wall.

"I damn you for knowing so much about my work." She said in a quiet voice, but then raising it she explained her appearance to the others in that little room. "I´m Dr. Maryann Blythe, forensic psychologist. My job is nothing to laugh at or make jokes about. It´s not hocus-pocus."

"Has anyone of you a camera with you?" Carol asked a bit helplessly. As expected no answer came.

"I´ve got one. Not a minute I´ll be back." With that Mary left the kitchen.

Carol turned back to the man she was interviewing. The cook. "Well, Sir, how did you discover the body?"

The cook swallowed several times, as if he needed to taste the words before making any sense of it. "Eh, I was cleaning the kitchen, like every day. My colleague is ill, so I need to do it all on my own. I was in the cold-storage chamber, arranging the breakfast table and making a survey. That was when I heard a … something like a… bang. I ran back into the kitchen…and… found … him. I must… must have screamed…because all the guests… I saw in the restaurant before… were staring at him…too. Then you came…"

**First of all I want to thank Karim! You are my first reviewer on that story. I´m very glad to hear - read that it is not too bad %D**

**I don't know if something like a yearly discussing among chemistries takes place and where it does. I just invented it-like the hotel. It does not exist in real life.**

**For the next chapter I planned to use at least two songs, both -or all I will need for this story- are written by Benny Andersson and Björn Ulvaeus and sang by Agnetha Faltskog and Anna – Frid (Frida) Lyngstad- ABBA. I thank the four for bringing such wonderful songs to live. **

**It´s just a warning.**

**And I wish you all a happy new Year!**


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter 9

"How late is it?"Carol asked groaning as she opened her apartment door, whilst carrying her computer, Mary´s camera and a printer with her.

"You mean, how early." Mary said, switching the lights on, pushing in a table (on rolls) with lots of paper stuff and a key upon on it.

"I don't care if early or late. I just want to know the time." One after another she placed on the table.

"It´s Two a.m."

"I thought it would be later…the interrogations are set by nine. We´ve got seven hours to prepare. The printer from the lobby is already here and I´ve gone searching for three whiteboards. But I hadn't seen any. I think it will be enough to build up something similar to a police station right here. We´ve got four large rooms, several bedrooms and others. This shall be enough. We are allowed to use a seminar room for our interrogations. There´s even a recorder."

"Carol!"Mary shouted interrupting her flood of words.

"What?"She blinked three times.

Mary sighed. "I´ll help you until three. Then I´m going to bed, sleep four hours, wake up and go on with my work. You should do the same."

"But you said that the killer will keep murdering and…"

"I did." Mary said in her rush of words.

"What if it is tomorrow? What if it is because we weren´t working?"

"He won´t. Maybe in three days. But he probably wasn't thinking about having a police officer and a psychologist at the same place and time. So I guess, he will wait four days. Might be even Five. Until the next escalation. Whatever it is…I´m not sure yet."

"O…okay." As Carol said that, Mary knew that she wasn't going to listen to her advice. She said nothing in return.

"How did you know I took my computer with me?" Carol asked as they began to stick the right wires in the right places.

"If you took your ID with you, I concluded that your computer isn't far. C´mon. You are married to your work. There´s no doubt. "

"Guess I am. We need everything that was written today and the pictures you took. What are you doing?" she asked as Mary opened the CD-Player. "Was there anyone in the restaurant?"

"Listen to music. When you make me stay awake all night, I´ll make you listen the last whole week of our local radio." It was horrible, when Mary said it, it sounded logical. Even if Carol knew it wasn't. She only could figure it out on cases, but not on daily day situations. "At least I hadn't seen anyone."

"But not too loud. You said weekend."

"Week. Weekend. It´s just a syllable. Start with Monday part one."

"How many parts has each day?" Carol asked beginning to print out the first pictures. The unmistakable click-when the cartridge is pulled in the right place- was audible. And then the light whiz when the different coloured ink is sprayed onto the white sheets of paper.

"About two. Without interviews and local news and all that stuff. I cut them out. The program did. I hadn't listened to it yet. It´s just the music." She made a little pause to receive Oxygen. "First thirty pictures are our body. The list of the ones that were in the kitchen is the first list. So don't exchange it. Second are all that visited the play. The third is our lecture, the fourth is the staff and the still missing fifth are all guests. But to the staff we´ve got a detailed report about everyone of them. I took pictures of all except for number five." Mary explained, while in background the first tones of a song were audible. It began slow, like someone would expect a romance film playing in winter.

"Classical music. Why have you recorded the whole week?"

"It´s a tour around the world." Carol knew Mary wished to have a real tour around the world someday. "I guess this week it´s the north…somewhere where you are from. I want to know to what music you are listening to. It´s some kind of one land, one band, all songs action, with interviews and everything what is worth mentioning about. Last month it was South Africa. I was so glad to hear something which is not that far away."

"Then listen-I can´t figure out yet, if I know it." Carol watched how sheet after sheet and picture after picture slowly came out the printer. And the next sheet was pulled in, whiz-to the left, whiz to the right, whiz to the left, whiz to the…

"This park and these houses, old streets I have walked  
Everything dear, will it be here  
One day when I am returning?  
My friends will get married, have children and homes  
It sounds so nice, well-planned and wise  
Never expecting surprises"

"Don't know it." Carol said turning to the computer again. She was glad that Mary couldn't see her face as the song went on. She hardly could concentrate on the printer anymore…

"I wonder, it's frightening  
Leaving now, is that the right thing?  
I wonder, it scares me  
But who the hell am I if I don't leave it  
I'm not a coward  
Oh no, I'll be strong  
One chance in a lifetime  
Yes I will take it, it can't go wrong"

"Let you alone know. I had seen some unused whiteboards somewhere. Will be back in not even ten minutes." Mary informed her.

"Shall I help you?"Carol asked in hope to get out of that room again.

"No. You need to print all pictures." Mary said disappearing into the night.

"My friends and my family, this dull little town  
Buses I've missed, boys that I've kissed  
Everything old and familiar"

"And the one I have not." Carol said to the CD-Player and was grateful that Mary wasn't near her now. "I´m not returning, dear player."_ Now you´re talking to yourself Jordan. Something definitively is wrong with you._

"I wonder, it's frightening  
Leaving now, is that the right thing?  
I wonder, it scares me  
But who the hell am I if I don't leave it"

"Could have been your thoughts back at Bradfield airport, eh?" she asked herself watching how sheet after sheet disappeared into the printer and came out covered with different coloured ink. At least, that´s what Michal would ask her.

"I'm not a coward  
Oh no, I'll be stronger  
One chance in a lifetime  
Yes I will take it.  
Yes I will take it, it can't go wrong"

"It was right to do it." She said as the song ended. Then she clamped the first stack of printed papers and wrote down the name of the victim and what every picture exactly shows. Mary had photographed the needle out of every possible angle. But what should it be? Could be a skewer for kebab. The length would fit.

The next song began. It was not so slow. Not so…thoughtful maybe.

"Where is the spring and the summer  
That once was yours and mine?  
Where did it go?  
I just don't know  
But still my love for you will live forever"

At least it didn't seem to affect her personally this time. The melody was easy, she began whistling to it. Still writing descriptions under the pictures.

Must be truly the same group like the first song. Mary was right. Same land, same group, same theme…

"Hasta Manana 'til we meet again  
Don't know where, don't know when  
Darling, our love was much too strong to die  
We'll find a way to face a new tomorrow  
Hasta Manana, say we'll meet again  
I can't do without you  
Time to forget, send me a letter  
Say you forgive, the sooner the better  
Hasta Manana, baby, Hasta Manana, until then"

"This is arranged, Blythe." She murmured as she had finished the first half of the sheets. Carol turned to the computer and let it print down the second stack of photos, all which were in the kitchen and at the play that night, and their room number. Waste of paper, but for first they weren't able to do something else.

"Where is the dream we were dreaming  
And all the nights we shared  
Where did they go?  
I just don't know  
And I can't tell you just how much I miss you"

_I can tell_, she thought, _but I won´t._

"Hasta Manana 'til we meet again  
Don't know where, don't know when  
Darling, our love was much too strong to die  
We'll find a way to face a new tomorrow  
Hasta Manana, say we'll meet again  
I can't do without you  
Time to forget, send me a letter  
Say you forgive, the sooner the better  
Hasta Manana, baby, Hasta Manana, until then"

_I´m not expecting a letter, an e-mail would be enough, or a call. To be honest, I´m expecting nothing. It´s my fault after all, isn't it?_

"Hasta Manana, say we'll meet again  
I can't do without you  
Time to forget, send me a letter  
Say you forgive, the sooner the better  
Hasta Manana, baby, Hasta Manana, until then"

"I can do without you, Tony! I am all right." _You_ _are not, when you´re talking to someone who isn't there_, an inner voice told her.

Now she was finished with the crime scene photos, but the others also where already printed. The next was slow again, and Carol began to write down the second list of names under the right pictures. She thought, she´d listened to this group before. But when and which group? At least it must be something from the European continent, she´d heard that ascent before. Where?

"I've seen it on your face  
Tells me more than any worn-out old phrase  
So now we'll go separate ways  
Never again we two  
Never again, nothing I can do"

She´d love to switch the player off, but she knew that Mary probably would plead as long as she´d agree to listen again to these songs. She could even turn the player quieter, but then Mary would also insist to listen again…

"Like an image passing by, my love, my life  
In the mirror of your eyes, my love, my life  
I can see it all so clearly… I can see it all so clearly  
Answer me sincerely … Answer me sincerely  
Was it a dream, a lie?  
Like Reflections of your mind, my love, my life

Are the words you try to find, my love, my life  
But I know I don't possess you  
So go away, God bless you  
You are still my love and my life  
Still my one and only"

_It was me breaking up. Can you even call it a break up? Where we ever something like together? _She sighed and tried to concentrate on the pictures again. Carol hadn't even noticed she´d written that much in the short time.

"I've watched you look away  
Tell me is it really so hard to say?  
Oh, this has been my longest day  
Sitting here close to you  
Knowing that maybe tonight we're through"

_I looked away and I knew I was going to leave. But I couldn't bring up the courage to tell you. I didn't want to see the hurt in your eyes._

She remembered that last day back on her beloved island clearly. She´d visited Tony to look after him. He seemed to be fine after all. And he knew that she wanted to leave for nearly a month. They were eating curry, one of their usual habits.

"So, you´re going on holiday for some weeks?" Tony had asked, a bit uncertain of the fact she really wanted to go on holiday.

"Um, yes. I should care more about my family. I guess, Michael want to see his sister at last once in a year." Actually she´d visited him shortly after she´d left Tonys house.

"How long will you be out?"

"Three weeks? Four?" _Longer than you think, _she wanted to add. She didn't want that he read the true answer in her eyes, so she´d looked away, pretending it would be the food she glanced at.

"Ah." He said nothing more in return. As she left he´d said "See you."

Again she wasn't able to answer truthfully. So she just had nodded and waved goodbye as she drove away.

"Like an image passing by, my love, my life  
In the mirror of your eyes, my love, my life  
I can see it all so clearly …"

Someone knocked at her door. Carol almost jumped. She went to the door and opened it. Facing a literally wall out of white boards. "Just three, you said, but please, can you help me? You wanted just three." a voice, belonging to Mary asked.

Carol laughed. "I have no other choice, have I?" she pulled in the first board.

"No. And, do you know the group?" Mary replied.

"I know I listened to them somewhere else before. But I honestly can´t remember. I guess something from Scandinavia."

"…But I know I don't possess you  
So go away, God bless you  
You are still my love and my life  
Yes I know I don't possess you  
So go away, God bless you  
You are still my love and my life  
Still my one and only"

"But they are good. Can express emotions very well." Carol made a face and Mary laughed at it, while taking one of the boards.

"This is the board for the kitchen." She rolled it onto on wall. "This is the board for the play - must be local and after all I heard a great one." She rolled the second board behind the couch. "And this is the lecture." She pointed at the third board, standing beside the door. "Our suspects are in the right part of this room, and our innocents are on the left. The others are in the middle. The pictures of our body, we can lay them on the table." Mary again faced Carol. "Why are you looking so...so...I don't know…like something upsets you?"

"I don't." Carol said forcing a smile. "Just a murder case when you tried to have a holiday like week and a best friend who desperately wants to figure out the depth of your personality."

"I´m not the one upsetting you. I only scare you. I might know more than you think I know about you." Mary shook her head and helped Carol to write down the names under the last pictures of that stack.

"You wish! If the next song is about Paris I´ll freak out." She wished to stop those words, but it was too late.

"Why?"

"Try to figure out." Carol smiled, went to her computer again and started the last list to copy.

"It already started, let´s listen…" Mary raised one hand as if to give a sign.

"…walks along the Seine

Laughing in the rain.

Our last summer

memories that remain…."

"That´s not fair." Carol snapped. "Besides, I was joking."

"For sure." _So, you_ _talked about Paris, too? Or have you visited France? Must be an important memory for you, eh?_

With this they sat in silence, working together, separating suspicions and innocents on different parts on the floor. In the background the music was still going on. Carol now was better in ignoring it. Paris, Paris. She couldn't quite understand herself why she´d talked about Paris tonight. She´d never done it in four years. But today? Carol decided to make the house responsible for her actions, though she knew it wasn't true.

"Three a.m." Mary said. "Good night."

The first Carol did as Mary left the room was to switch off the CD-Player. She sighed in relief.

Then she ordered the last pictures and sheets. Loosing track of time she flew around the room, doing this, doing that.

Exactly seven o´clock Mary stood in the door frame, watching her. "You hadn't even thought of closing your eyes for some minutes."

Carol turned around, not seeming guilty to be caught. "No. I couldn't."

"You´re not the only one, I guess. There probably won´t be a single guest that could rest without nightmares last night."

"There´s always one." Carol said, searching for her stuff to have a refreshing shower.

"Except for the murderer and the victim."

"Always one."

"Must be a very sleepy person then."Mary couldn't think of someone having slept well this night. Perhaps if this one wasn't aware of all what happened. Otherwise this was hardly possible.

**The next will be Tony again…maybe.**


	10. Chapter 10

Chapter 10

As Tony woke up at the next day a short glance on the clock told him it was already past seven. So, not eight hours sleep, but at least six hours without any nightmare.

Half an hour later he left his room dressed and showered. It was silent in his floor. Not even a whisper. Wondering about the whys he drove down the lift and as the doors opened a chaos greeted him. It was the atmosphere he knew from witnesses of a murder. The chaos predestinated to be right at the scene of crime. Better ask, he told himself.

"Sir?" he called one of the porters. "I have got a question: Had something happened last night?"

The porter stared at him like he was a visitor from the moon. "You don't know?" he almost yelled.

"Seems so." Tony answered him truthfully.

"One of our philosophies was killed. Police shall be here, too. If this is true. If this is true. They took pictures of us and wanted to know our names. We shall behave like nothing had happened. As if we could. As if we could. It is a scandal. A scandal, I´ll tell you." His condition was to describe with fear and anxiousness.

"I guess they missed to photograph me. Do you know where I can find the police?" Tony didn't care about a picture of him. His mind was already working. Preparing the profile. Seeing empty sheets of paper filling with his suspicions.

"The O-A. O-A." the porter finally replied. Again, doubling his answer.

"I´m sorry, but what is the O-A." he hated to ask about everything, not to know by himself.

"Outdoor Apartment…"

"Thank you." A friendly gesture and he went to the doors. Outdoor must be outside. Yesterday he´d seen a big white house behind the hotel.

It turned out to be the O-A. So he knocked on it. Three times. Decent but also forcing.

After about twenty seconds a black haired woman with skin colour of creamy chocolate opened the door a bit. She was younger and smaller than him. And as she noticed Tony her face fell. For a short time her eyes grew wide, like seeing a ghost. Then she smiled, still a bit bewildered. Whatever caused that reaction was gone again.

"Hello. Maryann Blythe." Mary said, stunning at what she saw. The man in front of her looked exactly like her father did-on photos-when he was around forty. This _must_ be her brother, half brother to be correct. There was no other opinion. Black hairs, thin lips…

"Can I help you?" she asked hoping to control her voice. He didn't show a reaction as he saw her, or heard her name_. You don't know that we are related._ She almost said that out loud, but stopped in the last second. Instead she kept a cautious look on her face. Years of working experience had taught her that this was the best working one if you wanted to talk to foreign people.

"No, thank you. I rather want to help you." He said without any trace of being unsure of himself.

"Help me? May I first know your name?" _Carol won´t believe my brother is here! I have to tell dad as soon as we leave._

"Hill." Too much. In not even a fraction of a second her memory shot up. She remembered everything Carol had said to her. There can´t exist that many Hill´s, speaking English, age about forty in the world. _...Last but not least my co-worker: We worked well. But as you said he now works with DI Fielding. Mh, but I think...and Dr: Hill-clinical and forensic psychologist._

"Tony Hill." Way too much. …_We weren't even a couple or whatever you think. We´re just very good friends: helping and understanding each other. I swear not even a … their names: Tony, then Paula …_

She wasn't able to answer in the first seconds. Her polite smile was replaced by a stunned expression. Hastily she turned away.

Tony wondered what was wrong with the woman in front of him. She acted more a weirdo than he does-and this should mean something. He´d only introduced himself. But this wasn't an acceptable cause for stopping to breathe as he did.

"Excuse me Dr. Hill." She pressed out, closing the door. "Darling, I know everything about you!" she whispered seeing some of Carol´s things on the couch. Then she leaned back inhaling deep. "Might be my chance. Is it possible that you are one and the same person?" she exhaled. _Yes, yes, yes!_ She felt her heart racing.

"I´m listening." She opened the door again and concentrated on Tony, this time with a calm face. Nothing gave away the excitement she felt.

"You know me?" he asked instead of introducing himself further.

"I know you?" attack is the best defense.

"You knew I´m a doctor."

"I´m used to call several persons Doctor. Are you one?" She wanted to analyze him, not the other way round.

"Eh, yes. That´s why I wanted to help you. I´m a clinical and forensic psychologist. Profiling, you know?" Tony asked.

"Heard about it before." Mary muttered. She was glad that Carol had a shower right now. Time for experimental psychology, she decided within a fraction of a second.

"I need a proof before I can say if you´re lying. Wait a minute, please. It must be cold outside."

She run back into the room closed everything that would say something about the case, placed two chairs around the little table and placed Carols ID map, card downwards, and her earrings onto the couch. The rest she took, hurried to the bathroom, opened the door and threw in all her things.

"Hey." She heard Carol call.

"Sorry." She banged the door shut and went back to the door.

"Come in. Sit down over there. Eh, I can´t decide by myself if we will request you. It all depends to my colleague. "she hoped to smile apologizing and not like an idiot.

"Thank you." He was happy that her courtesy wasn't pretended.

"First…why don't you tell something about you? You´re speaking English… that eases communication a lot."

"I´m working in a city near London."

"Which exactly?"

"You probably won´t know. Bradfield."

"I don't. Eh, how long?"

"More than ten years."

"Okay, then I´ve got a test. Forensic is profiling, right?"

"It is. I said it before."

"You did. Short test: If someone has got a relationship…" she leant back. That was her part "which would maybe crack an inner argument. Let´s say it is the classical…work and privacy problem, even if it is not. Both of them knew they are attached to each other, but no one´s making a step towards what it might be. And one of the two someday draws the line, but it´s more self destroying than anything else, though the one´s not admitting it, neither to anyone else nor to him-or herself…but they have talked about relationships…what would you think the relationship consist of?"

"Hypothetical?"His blue eyes fixed on hers.

"Always hypothetical." Mary answered staring back.

"It´s more a psychical than a physical relationship, they´re affright that the step forward to something what it might be would change the nature of they´re relationship. They are not clear who´s who. Both are independent, but I think they need each other. Whoever draws the line thought it would be easier doing this. But it isn't. It is more the opposite. The reason for the line can be an escalation. One or the other made a step forward. Maybe a sudden fear? Maybe something happened showing what would be if on part is not as he or she was before? These are little information and I guess you know more than you told me." she knew he meant: your case is not hypothetical, you know the one who draw the line. But she also knew she needed to pretend as if she hadn't noticed.

He continued. "If voluntary or not. Ah yeah, the effect the line had on both of them is in a bit equal compared to each other. Both will bury into work. For both it might be more physically than mentally. Maybe losing some weight. I guess that it was her drawing the line, as you named it. If there won´t be a meeting of the two I don't think they will ever find together. Even though they meet-it never would going to be voluntary- they may be to…to much captured in the rhythm of their relationship that nothing would change. Everything and nothing is possible. For both confronting is the worst method to find something out." He waited until the black haired woman sitting in front of him had nodded in agreement.

"Something like that is my work." Tony forced a smile. There was something dangerous about that Blythe-girl. Something in him sensed that she was more attentive than other people working on a murder case he´d met.

"You´d helped me a lot. I will request my colleague. I´m sure she´ll agree to let you work with us. But before nothing is said I can´t give you that what we have." Mary turned to look into the room, like wondering about the decision her colleague would made. "I´ll inform you." She said.

"Thank you Ms Blythe." It was rare that someone showed true agreement to his work. Involuntary he followed Mary´s line of sight and saw a brown little map. Beneath it there was a pair of earrings. Silver, without any structure square like with rounded edges. Unintentional he frowned.

"Something wrong, Dr. Hill?" asked Mary. But inside she was celebrating. A personal aim. She´d always searched for two different people, fractional for three, but if you mix it all together…_I am right! _

"No."

"Is it possible that we already met somewhere?" she asked a bit confused to see how he would react.

He shook his head. "I don't think so, no."

Now Mary let out a startled laugh, acting like she noticed the things on the table the first time-or to make it credible the second time- in her life. "I´m sorry. These don't belong to me." She pointed at the earrings.

"Yeah. I think you wear…other kinds. More the dark and golden colours, like brown. Am I right if I say your colleague is blonde and has fair skin?" Mary cursed inwardly. _Do you ever stop analyzing?_ She wanted to ask. He was more observant than she´d given him credit for.

"You are and now you go. See you later Dr. Hill." She led him to the door.

"See you, Ms. Blythe." He said nodding a bit.

"I´m sure, we´ll. Bye, Dr. Hill."


	11. Chapter 11

**This will be a very, very short chapter. That´s the killers fault, not mine. (Of course, it´s mine) But the good side of writing something like that is that you by yourself needn´t to understand fully what you´ve written. It is allowed to be dazzling!**

Chapter 11

I thought murdering would be easier. Not that I had thought it would be easy at all, but I also hadn't thought it would be that difficult. I was so thrilled that I just ran away. Next time I´ll stay a bit longer, I promised myself. I wasn't able to swear to it, because I probably wouldn't stand it.

Next time. Hopefully there only would be a next and not a next next or worse: a next next next. It all would depend on him. And on the other ones. On all the damn liars, who thought no one would ever blame them. And there was only this week left. I´d said every time: _Not now. Wait a little bit. Prepare._ Just this week would be my last chance.

But it was his fault wasn't it? He´d hurt Crystal, my beautiful, adorable sister in the worst way he ever could have. She had been so scared the night she told me what happened. And on this night it was clear he wasn't going to have a long life. If he will, against my expectations, it will be a tortured one.

I had waited six weeks and planned carefully. This little island seemed to be the perfect location. No one could help him, no one would find me. And when the week was over I would leave as the guest I came. No one would have noticed me. I will need to try to destroy the body somehow. (Not that in the end some forensic traces were left.)

I imagined how they will react, finding the body. And as I saw it in front of my eyes I willed the days to pass faster. To have the next wave of fear in the next three days. I´d be the one assuring everyone the killing was over. But maybe, just maybe, if one of them, and only one, wouldn't see how proud I will be, it might be lead to another corpse.

At least I had enough possibilities. Variations to create each time a new scene of horror, as I could tell, more than twenty people will say. But they all were so daft! I nearly hoped for some unexpected things to happen. It would make it more exciting. Make it a fight.

I would act as rueful as he had, betraying he was sorry for Crystal. Bloody liar! Pretender. None of them deserved a kind of redemption. None of them deserved my trust. He´d given my sister´s away. Not even close to regretting it. I would give away the trust of the others. Never regretting it.

Trust comes to a price. And the price is hurt. Is death.

**I just noticed that there are easier things than to write something like a killers POV.**

**I have to thank Birgitta for writing such a nice review (Worth Waiting)! I´m glad that you see both in that story the same I do.**


	12. Chapter 12

Chapter 12

"I talked to my brother!" Mary hugged Carol who was just coming from having a shower and had still wet hairs.

"Your brother? Have I missed something?"

Mary went back to the middle of the room and shook her head.

"I said Dad is in England searching for relatives. I´ve got a brother, Carol, a brother." Carol hadn't seen her that happy since…since her mother died. _So it must be true, even if it sounds odd._

"When I said it, I hadn't meant it literally. Besides how will you know? I think you can´t call and can´t be called." Remarkably calm she rubbed her wet hair.

"He is here! And he looks exactly the same Dad did when he was in his age. Well, his eyes are different, but that doesn't matter." Mary was bouncing with eagerness, expecting and something that lay between hope and a too high amount of alcohol in blood.

"Why was your brother here? A murder case, yes, but that is no reason. Had he known about you?" Carol pretended to be more interested in the change of colour on her towel.

"He doesn´t know, but he wanted to help us. You, to be correct. He heard that there is a murder case and he wanted to help you, though he´s got no idea who you are. Isn´t it great?" she smiled widely at a towel facing Carol.

Now Carol looked up. Her friend was pacing around the room.

"Oh, maybe he´s the missing witness."Carol said clearly misunderstanding the situation.

"The best is missing," Mary continued not hearing Carol musing, which actually suggested that she hadn't heard her. Mary had the gift of ignoring everything that didn't fit in her line of thought. A talent that had driven Carol on the edge of madness a few times before.

"Guess what! You know him. It will knock you out, I promise. You even worked with my brother. That´s going to be so exciting!" She clapped her hands, jerking her index finger in Carol´s direction.

"Oh, and who is your brother?" asked Carol. Her personal interest was awake now. She had no idea, but if Mary knew…

"He´s profiler like me!" Mary exclaimed. Carol who had immediately a frightening idea of who could it be was not able to play through the thought because Mary answered that fast. "It´s _Tony_!" How familiar sounded that name in her mouth.

It really knocked her out. But not in that way both had expected.

Mary watched Carol´s reaction. She´d thought that Carol would say nothing, deny or laugh at it or at least show no reaction at all. Or exclaim Jesus. Maybe even say bloody hell. She´d supposed something like that.

First the blonde woman began to smile like she never had before. It was something between soft, excusing, humouring, teasing, caring, loving and happiness. "Tony," she mumbled softly, both arms slightly rising. Like to reach out for someone.

In the next blink of an eye, colour drained from Carol´s face. Her features grew ashy white. Mary watched the light pink of her lips become almost transparent. Her eyes widening in shock, now she looked sorrowed, scared. She seemed to watch into a long, never ending tunnel. Her stretched out arms seemed now to be a fence to defend herself.

The last Carol saw was the face of the murdered philosophy. Short messy black hair, fair skin, blue eyes. But suddenly it wasn't the philosophies face anymore. There have been too many situations where it could have been _his_ blue eyes closed forever. Where _his_ mind could have stopped working forever. Where…

"Don't, please…Angelica…Sniper…enough?" then she stumbled backwards. Mary could almost see a white room building up in front of Carol´s eyes before they closed.

"I hadn't meant it literally either." Mary yelled, throwing her arms in the air. She turned and bounced the door open that it hit against the wall. _At least she will be still here when I´m back._

Then she began to run. In the hotel she jumped in the first elevator she saw. She noticed that she didn't know his room number. "Damn it, damn it, damn it!" She got out of it again and ran to the entrance table.

"Ms, you hadn't found the next bo-?" asked the man from the staff. His face indicated that he hadn't done well in the past hours.

"No," she interrupted. "But can you tell me the room number of Mr. Hill?"

"Is he one of your sus-"the tone in his voice nudged a point near loosing nerves.

"No," she again interrupted. "_Dr_. Hill helps us, so can you please tell me his room number now?"

"For sure," he turned to a stack of papers. "It must be…107. I believe I´d seen him just ten minutes ago."

"Thank you," she called while heading for the elevator and pressing every knob she found.

"You´re on the second floor now. Rooms hundred to hundred sixty." Was mentioned in Russian, English and French. Mary stumbled out of the elevator and ran along the corridor, almost missing the door she searched for.

Eagerly knocking on it until it was opened, she almost bumped Tony´s face. He looked a little bit surprised as he opened the door.

"Ms. Blythe, already made your decision?" She just grabbed his arm and pulled him forward the elevator.

"Many, not just one. The most important-important is not quite the correct description… most affecting for me is that you and me, we two, have got the same father." She was glad that Tony tried not to defend himself anymore. In the elevator she breathed again. One hand rose to show him not to speak.

"Then a question: why is someone separating a co-worker and an old friend if they are the one and the same person?"

"When I talked about helping you, I meant dead bodies, not your colleague." there was a hint of humour in his tone and she´d almost yelled at him how he could do so.

She snorted. "You solved the potential case. You knew it was not hypothetical. I know how it is working, dear Doc. We even have got the same job. Though you´re both. I am just a profiler, but Dad´s clinical psychologist. There´re more similarities, you´ll see."

The doors opened as they were in the entrance hall, she again gripped Tony´s arm and pushed him this time forward to the entrance door. Talking was almost impossible.

"Why are we hurrying? The dead one isn't alive anymore. You haven't found another yet." He asked (a bit breathless) as they nearly had reached their destination.

"Man´s down." Mary scowled. "I know that you can´t explain everything, she doesn't can by herself. You can explain the separating, because I´m quite sure you did the same. Why is she dividing you in two different persons? Why is she collapsing and mumbling something of a girl named ´Angelica Sniper´? Tell me why." Mary forced in a hectically voice. She hated hectic. It made everything to seem more complicate. It made her react out of normality.

She felt Tony almost trembling over his own feet and pushed open the door. He first had wondered about Mary´s ´she´ but soon after the second sentence he knew who ´she´ was. Carol sat on the bed holding her head. Tony suddenly came to a halt in the door steps. Seeing Carol again was quite different than just thinking of her. Or imagining of seeing her again. Then slowly going in her direction, he focused on a point slightly beside her hand._ We are your hypothetical case._ She hadn´t changed at all and she´d changed a lot.

Mary sat down on the armchair, so that there would no other possibility left for Tony than to sit down beside Carol. But two metres in front of her, he stopped. Watching her in great curiosity.

"I´m afraid DCI Fielding was right, saying I damaged you." He shook his head, avoiding looking her straight in the eye. Immediately he cursed himself for not having found a better way to say hello. Or to hide his surprise. What caused the question if he was surprised at all. Was he more frightened? Or was it the same indefinable mixture as always? And what meant always? _Not now, Hill!_

Mary laid her head to one side as she saw Carol blinking several times, and then standing up. Avoiding to glance at Tony at all.

"Whatever your DCI said, she was wrong. We need to be in the seminar room by nine, the interrogations..." she took a step to the door, and took -with that- a step in Tony´s direction. Involuntary, of course. She was going to say something more, but with her heel, she stumbled over the edge of the light coloured carpet.

"Damn carpet!" trying to stand up normally she completely lost weight and directly fell into Tony.

_Oh!_

He managed to catch her in the last second.

Beside himself, he laughed. "You´re back to north, some things are different here."

"But just some." She mumbled loud enough for Tony to hear, but quiet enough for Mary not to hear.

"Murderers are always the same, wherever they are." she explained disburdening herself from Tonys supporting hug.

_Interesting isn't it? You see him after so many years and immediately have a closer physical connection than you ever had by falling over a silly carpet._

"We got the seminar room for our interrogations, there are at least five white boards, magnets, Mary has got a camera, I have a computer and the printer from the lobby is there." She went to the door, letting him stand alone in the room.

"Does that mean I´m your co-worker again?" Tony asked already knowing the answer.

"Just under one condition," she made a serious face. "Be nice to your sister. I need her...and the other way round." She added hastily, regretting it not even ten seconds later. Carol knew that Tony would understand what she meant, but Mary would draw another conclusion. She stopped in her tracks. Turning to Mary she said. "Be nice to each other."

Mary raised her hands in defeat. "Never thought something else." but there was that little twitching of her lips that told the truth of her thoughts.

"Not a word." Carol warned her.

**I tried to use the holidays and to focus on only one story. It´s not working. Neither the one nor the other. **


	13. Chapter 13

Chapter 13

In silence they walked down to the seminar room. Mary had the kitchen key around her neck as a chain. So that no one was able to enter the kitchen and destroy evidence. The body rested in one of those big, former empty, fridges. It had taken her long to convince the hotel manager to do so.

Tony mainly watched at Carol, something had changed about her, he couldn't say what exactly. But it scared him. In a way she seemed more vulnerable than ever before, but in another less… not vulnerable at all.

Maybe it was only the thought of having someone like a father. Not that he was very proud of him. Having him left alone with Vanessa wasn't something Tony could greet as a good decision. At least it seemed that the black haired woman beside him had a way better childhood than him. In exception for his psychopaths everyone must have had an easier childhood than him. (Maybe even the ones he chased.) His thoughts wandered back to Carol again.

Still after those years he saw everything he´d lost in her.

"Who´s Angelica Sniper?" Mary asked suddenly, destroying the somehow comfortable silence.

"Who´s who, please?" asked Tony, snapping out of his thoughts.

"Angelica Sniper." Mary repeated slowly. Carol turned unsure what she should do. Her expression gave nothing away of the hint of anger (mostly about herself) she felt.

"I never heard of…" suddenly he came to realization. "Ah, she does not exist."

Mary´s brow furrowed. Carol only nodded and walked on. Tony shrugged and did the same.

"Hey, you two! That´s not fair." she called, still standing in her place.

"That´s true and that doesn't matter now. I´ll tell you later when you keep your promise not asking me questions." Carol tried to use her remaining chance.

"Ask no questions and you´ll be told no lies, eh?" The female psychologist grinned and started to catch up.

"Exactly." Carol said but then stopped in her tracks, otherwise she´d probably missed the huge white door. "You´re agreeing so easily, that is unnatural for you. I needn't to convince you? What´ve I missed?" She pointed out to another room down the hallway. "A library is down there. Think we can use some books."

Tony opened his mouth to speak. But Mary interrupted.

"Don't even try to warn her." She hissed.

But he didn't listen and shook his head in disagreement with Mary. "No, I wanted to warn you. I´m not going to tell anything."

"Not everything is said in words." Mary opened the door. "There is the body language, too." She glanced slightly at Tony, wondering why it exactly must be him being her half-brother. (She was glad about knowing that he really existed.) Or maybe more correct, why must it be Carol- her co-worker – to have been worked with him before?

"Good luck." Snorted Carol and began to laugh. "I´ve been trying it for years."

"So did I." Tony popped in. Adding in his mind a, _and you were too close. That´s why you went away._

"Remember - both of you- that, I already know a little bit. And this week is the best one to prove or disapprove my theories. And, unfortunately, I have a nice excuse to talk with you about personal things. I need to know how my half- brother did the last years." She allowed herself a short grin as Tony flinched slightly at her words. Keeping her voice serious she continued. "And why my co-worker doesn't wants to talk to my half-brother. Someone needs to care for him. If she doesn't … It will be left to me." Now she saw Carol´s reaction was nearly the same as Tony´s was before.

"Ever thought of the theory that I can take care on my own?" asked Tony, fixing Mary´s gaze. Probably more aware of that what Mary wanted to do, than of that what she´d said about his relationship with Carol.

"Yes. But I was able to abduct you from your room. So, it is overturned for now." Grinning sweetly, she blinked a few times.

"Good morning, who are you?" They were distracted by Carol´s voice, asking a question out of line. Turning at the same time both saw someone standing near the opposite wall of the large room.

A woman maybe about forty, maybe younger stared at them. She´d blue light blue eyes, surrounded by long eyelashes. Dark red, nearly brown hairs with what must be blonde strands, which were bound up in a knot. Her expression was somewhere between unbelieving and exhaustion.

The first thing Tony noticed was the shape of her face. It had that specific Scottish shape. It was something that remembered him on Alex. It was not the big similarity, but at this stance, that woman could´ve been her. No doubt.

Carol was sorrowed, because she´d never seen that woman before. At least the night before, in one of the pictures she probably must have had seen her. Or as they´d asked every guest for their names they must´ve met. But has hard as Carol tried to remember, she´d never seen that person before.

"Karen. Karen Hendrik. My husband told me what happened. I was out and…" that woman, introduced herself as Karen Hendrik definitely run out of words. "…I came here." She finished.

Suddenly Carol remembered. "yeah, the missing wife. Nice you found us."

Mary tried to figure out which accent the woman had, while Tony was more concentrated on her personality.

Carol pointed at the desks of different size in the room. "Sit down where you want. Only some questions."

The woman watched a bit anxious at the two psychologists. "Yes." She mumbled and took the seat nearest to her.

Attempting herself in a friendly smile Carol began her interview. "You were out yesterday night. When?"

The woman swallowed. "Don´t know. Mh, at eight we had dinner. About ten I probably went out and came back…. One a.m." Her answer was more a question itself.

For the first Carol nodded. "Where did you go exactly and why?"

Karen Hendrik again shortly glanced at the other two. "When I went out the hotel….I first made my way to these…these rocks…so one way round the island, I guess."

"And why did you do it? Alone, though your husband is with you."

"Our kids…it was a anniversary present from our kids and…" she shortly bit her lip. "Well…I always need some time on my own….that´s why….why I decided to walk around. Without plan first….but then I remembered my daughter once made a…a…kind of work and travel in Australia…so I thought I might as well make a walk around the…the whole island."

Carol noticed she was growing more and more uncomfortable under the obeying of Tony and Mary.

"Mary?" she asked, not watching away from the other woman´s face. "You ca show Tony the crime scene. It might be better now than later. Please. Who knows what happens next."


	14. Chapter 14

Chapter 14

_Intelligent people do not use commands. They use questions. Every day they get the chance to they use it. But sometimes it is more intelligent to just watch and shut up. Asking questions might also be not always for good. You might get to know things, you never wanted to know._

The clock in the office stroke ten with a small ´´bub´´. Outside it was dark, too dark. And here it was, the proof of what Ben had said the day before. Well, it was not a new case, but the rest of the old case to sort out and bring an order in.

Alex was still a bit ´high´ from yesterday. Something was definitely wrong with her, she could tell. Something happened or was going to happen what she didn't want to. Did she? Watching at the papers spilled over her desk she sighed. This evening, she first will excuse to Ben, and tomorrow she will visit her cousin. Maybe to stay with him for a couple of days. She´d arranged her holidays-two weeks- at the same time like Ben had.

Kevin was still typing the last report as Paula came in, carrying heaps of papers on her arm. "Isn´t it risky to let three of our team have some kind of holiday at the same time?" She hung her coat on over her chair. And then sat down slowly and a bit stiff. The papers dangerously staggered like they planned to fall down in the very next second. As if noticing Paula´s commanding stare the stack of papers stopped its movement and stayed on the table. Seeing that, Paula relaxed a bit and turned away from the pile.

Kevin looked up, thankful to talk to someone. "Yeah, it is. What will you do?"

She shrugged. "Don't know. This are the first two weeks in my life where I have no idea what to do. And you?"

"Same problem." He looked at his screen again, typing some sentences, erasing some letters.

"We´ll see." Paula said, rising from her seat.

"Where are you going?" Kevin asked, stopping his movement.

"This," she pointed at the papers, "is just a forth."

Kevin suddenly rose too. "I´ll help you. Everything is better than typing."

Paula laughed and both disappeared through the front door. Alex smiled, a real smile, she´d watched the scene out of her office. She was sorrowed a bit too. Three officers missing, what if really something happened?

She went outside her office and began to put all the photos back into the boxes. Then she looked how far Kevin was. _You can compare his desk with a jungle_, she thought. This was as she heard a knock on the door.

She looked up and noticed a man in his sixties, light grey hair, and looking strangely familiar to her. "May I come in?"

"For sure." She said.

"I search for my son," he said, before Alex could even think of offering help. She stopped in her movement.

"Let´s sit down here." She gripped a pen and went to the white board. Why use a paper, when there´s a huge white space you can write on?

"Alex Fielding. Detective Chief Inspector. And you are-?"

"Edmund Arthur Blythe. Sixty-five years old. Living in Johannesburg for Forty years now…"

Alex stopped writing and turned around. "South Africa?" she asked and felt a little bit dump asking it. Some kind of déjà vu claimed her, but she´d no idea why.

"I´m married. Have got a daughter. My wife, Charlotte, died last year of lung cancer."

"I guess your son is not out of this marriage." She continued writing.

"No. I lived in Leeds at this time. It is now more than forty years when I left for South Africa. I got to know that I might have a son just a month ago. He must live here in or near Bradfield. It´s horrible, I might meet him on the street without noticing it." He shook his head in disbelief.

"All right, so you have no picture of him?" Alex asked. He nodded, looking sad and desperate.

"Do you know his name, Mr. Blythe?" _That would be something were we can start._

"Anthony Valentine H…" the rest of his complete answer was absorbed by the loud crash of papers falling on the ground.

She jerked around to see Paula and Kevin-still holding some papers in his hands- stare at Edmund Arthur Blythe in disbelief.

"Paula, please" she muttered.

"Oh no… Not again. Did something happen to him?" asked Paula, seemingly not having heard her guv.

Mr. Blythe rose. "You know my son?"

Kevin let fall down the stack he carried to help Paula. "Tony Hill is your son?"

"You are the father of our profiler?" Now asked Alex, forcing herself to hold the grip tight around the pen. Anthony Valentine? Okay, she knew that Tony was just an abbreviation, she´d probably get it to Anthony but Anthony Valentine? This man here was his father?

"Yes, I think he is." It was more a question than anything else. He sank back down on his chair.

"Then you won´t find him. He is in Moscow this week." Alex began to explain and cleaned the white board again. But there was another disturb she first hadn't recognized fully.

"Have a nice evening, DS McIntyre."

"Mr. Jordan, how are you? And how´s your sister?" Paula asked back.

"She´s the reason why I´m here" he sighed. "I can´t call her for the last four days. She promised me to answer every call in the next twenty-four hours. But she hadn't. Can you try to call her? Maybe she´ll answer her phone if it´s from Bradfield CID."

"Talk to our guv. She´s over there, talking to Dr. Hills father." She whispered, pronouncing father a bit too much. It was still the disbelief that struck her.

"Carol never said anything, not that she said much about Dr. Hill at all, but…" he now saw Alex cleaning the white board. _Today you hadn't got a ponytail like the last two_, he noticed. His voice scaled up to normal speaking, so that she heard him. Her pen fell down. "…I might be wrong." But it was not her giving him the answer.

"She isn't your sister, is she?"asked Mr. Blythe rising from his chair for a second time.

"You know my sister?" asked Michael, still obeying Alex.

"Carol Jordan: blond haired, grey eyes, working in Johannesburg since four years and since two years with my daughter?"

"She is." He agreed but then concealed a point. "Working with your daughter, which means working with Tony´s…"

"Half sister." Alex said who had already picked her pen up from the floor.

"But then you are _the_ Dr. Blythe." Michael quoted.

"She talked about me?"

"Oh no, just written. Talked more about your daughter. When she talked."

"Stop! It gets difficult to follow for someone who isn't involved. Dr. Blythe: You are the father of how´s your daughter´s name?"

"Maryann. Or just Mary."

"Any second names?"

"No."

She wrote it down. "Tony is her half brother, which he obliviously is unaware of. What´s his mother´s name?"

"Vanessa Hill." Blythe answered without a motion.

"Your daughter works with your sister, Carol Jordan. She doesn't know about it, too. And if I remember right she is former DCI Jordan?" she nodded to Michael and then wrote down Carol and Michael Jordan.

"That means we found your son. He is as already said in Moscow now. A wellness-hotel. And you are here because…?" she again turned to Michael.

"I can´t contact my sister. I´m sorrowed that something happened to her." He said looking lost. "I hoped that you would call her from here. She may answer Bradfield CID earlier than my call. I know that it is not right to do it that way."

"You said a wellness-hotel? Mary and your sister must be there, too. You don't need to be sorrowed about her, she´s fine. Mary first wanted me to come with her, because I speak this language but I wanted to go to see for my son. " Edmund said, explaining a circle that began to form.

"Any questions? Or wants anyone add something?" Alex asked, not that there were other relations on the turn out.

"I want to see my son."

"My sister and what does 0.03 percent mean?" he looked at Alex questioningly, it gave him a reason to look at her with full attention.

She involuntary blushed, who´s ever blushing voluntary? "0.03 percent? I hadn't asked it, had I?" she asked and her eyes widened a bit. _Where the hell did he know?_

Michael pointed at the board behind her."Not that I remember, but you obviously had written it."

_Uh-oh— caught off guard_. "Carbon dioxide in the atmosphere," explained Alex hastily, becoming redder than she was and rubbed away the percentage she´d written over Michael´s name.

"I know it!" Kevin suddenly shouted. "Paula, I reminded you had no plans…We can visit our working-couple."

Now it was Paula to blush and saying nothing in response.

"Working-couple?" repeated Alex. "Why not just couple?" Not that she could think of Tony in any relationship at all, but if she remembered the rumours she´d heard when she first came here, they could skip the working.

"Carol hadn't left for Johannesburg because it was a job abroad. That might be her second or third reason. Alex, she left because of Tony."

"I see," Alex sighed and nodded at the same time, stretching the words over more syllables than necessary. "Okay listen: I´ll reserve a flight for tomorrow. We´ll be six persons. I hope you all have enough time, nerves and money. Kevin: You won´t leave until your report is typed. Paula: I help you with the papers. Mr. Blythe, have you got a hotel near Bradfield?"

"Yes. Don´t be worried about me."

"M…"she stopped. Should she say Michael or Mr. Jordan? The first could be interpreted wrong and the last sounded stupid.

"See you tomorrow DCI Fielding." He smirked. She knew what he was going to say next and wished she could stop him from saying it.

"Flight is going ten after five a.m. Gate three." Kevin called from his computer.

"See you in not even seven hours." he turned to leave and Alex already began to exhale in relief. "Was a pleasure to meet you."

Before she could reply he was gone.

If Dr. Blythe wouldn´t be asking himself how close he already had been to his son without knowing it, he would have noticed something.

If Kevin wouldn't be so exited and making plans how to show Paula that he cared for her and wondering why she always refused, he may would have noticed the same.

If Paula hadn't been thinking of how to slip out of that situation gracefully she would have noticed it too. (Having holiday with Kevin was not something she looked forward to.)

Alex had seen Michael the last two days, but DCI Fielding hadn't. DCI Fielding always sorted every personal aspect—if it wasn't about children especially Ben—out of her work. DCI Fielding would have needed to ask for Michaels name to know it. But she didn't.

And the other way round Michael never would be allowed to call her by surname. But he did.

And no one noticed.

No one.

**-...-...-**

**I hope this chapter is not too confusing.**

**And the _words written like this _are this time only thoughs I got while writing this chapter.**


	15. Chapter 15

**Mh, though Easter has already passed: Happy Easter everyone!**

Chapter 15

"What do you think of it?" asked Mary with a dry expression.

"Our killer is not one of the staff, otherwise he´d done better. But he is here for a while now. Maybe he saw it as a last chance. Plus he´s not the smartest one in the world, and he knows it. Was the body really arranged like this?" Tony asked, staring at this place where some hours ago Salmon Parker had been lying.

"Do you think he moved the body?" she wanted to know in return, instead of answering his question.

"Might be. Might not be. I don't know…why move the body? To destroy forensic evidence? The more you do, the more you show. To plant evidence? Which? Why? Here´s nothing we could find out, forensics I mean. Why don't move the body? I´m in hectic, am I? It´s my first killing; human. Not animals. But human. It´s my very first."

Saying nothing Mary only raised one eyebrow.

"I don't arrange a body when I killed him. He´s young; in experience. Not in age, well, there, too."

She nodded. "Can we have a she?"

Startled he turned around. "Yes. We could. But then she didn't move the body. He could have, even if the percentage of it is not very high. She wouldn't."

Going on like this, they made their way to the fridge—

"_The needle is interesting" Tony mumbled. _

"_Yep, the thumb. Not that I´ve tried but I guess it´s quite difficult, to get it through a finger."_

"_Mh…Bang on the head?"_

"_Yeah"_

"_From Behind."_

"_Yep, coward, isn't he?"_

"_Maybe. The philosophy is not his target. There´s someone else."—_

And then back to the seminar room. Seeing Carol still being there as someone else went out of the room Mary waited till the door was closed again and went in without knocking.

"Got anything knew?" the blonde woman asked, turning a bit around.

"Nothing of significance. No. Just a wider range of suspects." Mary told her, being aware of the phrase she used.

"Great." Her sarcasm was unnecessary. "This woman was bloody frightened. Of you two. Normally people are frightened of me, not of you." She sighed.

"You hadn't frightened me." Tony said, recalling one of their first talks.

"_Maybe you frighten them"  
"No, people I work with, they frighten me."_

"Really?" asked Carol in an innocent tone of voice.

"Have you found out something new?" he asked instead of taking the direction their conversation would lead.

Carol shortly glanced down. "No one has seen our killer. No one remembers having seen anything out of place. I have to admit, that it is difficult to separate between important and unimportant for our guests. I bet they never were witnesses of something like that before." She ran with a hand through her hair. Not missing, that Tony followed her movement with his eyes. "Eh, we got the missing list of everyone being here. And everything what was going on in the last month. I talked to the cook again. He said, only remembering a young man asking something about Russian kitchen. He couldn't describe him very clearly, though, they must´ve talked about an hour."

"It also could have been a she." Mary suddenly said.

"Why?" Carol asked.

She asked Mary but it was Tony giving her the answer.

"The philosophy isn't the strongest one. The body was unmoved, probably. The lamp was hidden, not to well, you already found it. The lamp as murder weapon, that's so classical. But to say it´s the first killing of our killer, he or she was very disturbed after having done it. Like a pressure, I have to kill you. But actually I don't want. Because I´m not the bad guy. There´s only no other possibility left for me. I want to frighten you. Why? I don't know. Have you frightened me in the past? Might be. Might be. Probably…. And I can turn into the bad guy, of course…"

"Could it be a couple?" she asked.

"No, no dominance submissive relationship. Neither a balanced one."

_Ah, there´s it again_, Maryann, who watched the answer question game, thought.

"A third person making someone else doing it?"

"No, then it would be more precise. Not just, so plain. He´s obviously angry."

"About what?"

He shrugged. "I´m not so far, yet. How about a-mh" he hesitated. "They don't have curry here, have they?"

Much to Mary´s surprise Carol laughed. "No fish ´n chips?"

"Football is missing." Tony said after some seconds of consideration.

"Fish ´n chips? Football?" a little bit taken aback Mary repeated the words.

"Yeah." Was the only answer she received.

The next they did, was collecting some books from the library.

"Whoa, can´t read the half of them!" Maryann groaned, going along the shelves. The most titles she could see, were Russian, she even found some Chinese.

"But you can read the other half, and maybe there are some from the other half which might help us." Carol answered her. She only must be a few shelves away.

"Why do we need books?" Kneeling down, to see which books stood there, Mary´s question sounded more like a low muffle.

"Some can be very helpful." She now heard, from somewhere behind her, Tony´s voice.

"Agree fully." She mumbled, stood up and went to search for Carol.

"Found something?" she asked as soon as finding her.

"Yep. A book about how to do the …´´best meat ever´´. Maybe we find something about how did you call it? ´´wrong used free time activity´´."

"Spits are used for roasts, of course." Mary said.

"The killer misused it. Or do you think a thumb is good for a roast?" Tony, suddenly appearing behind Carol who jumped in surprise explained.

"God." She exclaimed.

"No, it´s me."

"Whatever. Anything else you need?"

"Not now, I go back." With that Tony walked away.

"See you." was Mary´s response.

Left alone Carol leaned back against one shelf. Eyes closed, she mumbled. "You are unfair Tony. Why do you still have these affects on me? You don't even know what you are doing. In a week it will all be over." _Do you want it to be over? To let pass the week?_

Some doors further Tony slipped into one of his theories. "Not your target. Who then? Why a needle. You use it for roast. Over the fire, in the pan. So in the end, flesh. Dinner. Nutrition. Eating what?" He shivered slightly. "You´re not a cannibal, are you? Beside the major injuries, the body is not more damaged. Not more horror than necessary. Saying much, doing nothing. What do you think Carol?"

"Tony!"a sharp, commanding voice disturbed him.

Snapped out of his thoughts, his blue eyes fixed on Mary´s. He seemed to be slightly dazzled, not seeing the one he´d expected.

"I´m not Carol. She´s not here." Said Mary in an urgent and low voice, concentrating on how it sounded.

"Where´s she then?" Calmer, slightly influenced by her tone of voice, but feeling a bad déjà vu Tony asked.

"At the library, where you left her."

"Oh." He breathed in relief, turned around and strode back to the library again.

As he found her, leaned on a shelf, eyes closed, he stopped. Unsure of what to do.

"Um… com´ on Tony, what do you want to ask?" she demanded suddenly.

"How did you notice me?" he asked, trying not to sound too curious.

"I guessed. Would have been embarrassing to have someone else here." She smiled and opened her eyes.

"What do you think? Of the killer?"

As they came out, Mary was waiting in front of the building. "I have no key." She explained.

"That never stopped you from entering houses before." Remarked Carol remembering once she came home, finding Mary pacing along in her kitchen. When she asked why Mary broke ín, she´d answered that for one reason she had no key, and for the other, that it would be inpolite to just let the profile here, and not waiting for Carol to give it personally to her.

Mary shrugged. "Let´s track down our killer. Maybe we can persuade you to switch over to psychology."

"I tried it several times," Tony said. "Don't make yourself any hopes."

Carol gripped that last of his statement. "I´m hopeless for you, Dr Hill?"

"No, you are the hope. I am the less."

As Tony woke up he saw the white ceiling. His neck pressed into something smooth. He blinked and tried to sit up normally. He covered his face with his hands, then running through his short black hair. That was when he noticed a whirl of blonde hairs against his shoulder. The memory of last night came back. The three of them had placed themselves around the table, dissecting reports, opinions and all they had so far. Somewhere between all those ideas Mary had said goodnight and disappeared. Alone with Carol, the mood eventually had shifted back onto the indefinable ground, covered by millions of grey shadows and some reflections of light. They had worked until it was already began to dawn again outside. _Mustn´t be three hours ago._

He heard a whistle somewhere in the room.

"Ah, you hadn't worked all night, had you?" asked Maryann, his half sister -oh that word scared him- and sat down on the chair opposite of him.

"I guess we did." He glanced down beside him, to see Carols eyes closed in sleep.

"You know she was awake too long. You may have worked until six a.m. These are six hours. Than she was awake complete yesterday. These are Thirty hours. Than another seven hours. These are thirty seven. She may slept one hour at the plane. And therefore she was awake the whole day before our flight went. Let it be another twenty hours. These are how much? About Fifty? The human border is at fifty three."

"Yeah, that´s Carol." Tony smiled wryly.

"But I don't think that she was that extreme in Bradfield, was she?"

Tony shook his head, not missing to glance at her sleeping figure again. "What happened the last four years?"

"I just know last two. First I thought she´s a little bit crazy. Because she made a bet with her guv: if it was a serial killer or not. It was, so she got the case and called me in. I was surprised she´d accepted my work and made everyone understand that it is respectable. It turned out that she´s some kind of workaholic. No free time, no personality. Every time I tried to contact her she was at the station. It proofed me that she wasn't crazy but that she _is_ her job. First half year she pretended not to know anything about profiling. I believed it. But then I caught her off guards. I hadn't told her I knew. But now I think Carol knew I did. Very soon I discovered that she´s working too hard. I mean, this up to Fifty hours day is normal for her. But she was secretive."

He couldn't help but smirk about that last word. Something like that Carol had described him earlier.

"Telling nothing about her reasons why she´s now living in Johannesburg. Not even two weeks ago I get to know she´s got a brother. She knew she had one, but never told. I think that I helped her in that last year. At least I skipped ten hours. I´m afraid it was worse the two years before."

Tony said nothing in response, just watching at Carols sleeping figure again.

"It´s good she now get´s some sleep. Was Bradfield that worse, too?"

"I don't think so. Very hypothetical your case. But you were right. She is self destroying."

"Sorry, I was curious. What´s true of that you told me?"

Tony didn't answer.

A silence crackles between them and Mary didn't know what to say next. She only knew, that Tony wouldn't answer her. "We hadn't talked very much. It seemed that this first case should be the one we ever had. The breakthrough to friendship was the day mom died. ` I´m feeling sick´ was the last she said. I don't know why, but I called Carol, because I somehow knew she´d help me."


	16. Chapter 16

**I know this chapter can´t exist, because, the person is already dead. But that´s the wonderful about fiction, especially the one you write by yourself: It gets every turn you want :-)**

**And I noticed a horrible mistake in chapter 14 (well I noticed in every chapter mistakes, which is already bad enough) a truly bad mistake: It is not surname. It is first name. (It first occurred to me when I prevented a friend from making the same one)**

**My new aim is to write a chapter without any mistakes…but not today.**

Chapter 16

Charlotte Blythe was in the small garden that belonged her and her husband. They had lived here since they´d married. She was glad having found a man like him. She knew about his story. What had brought him here, down to South Africa.

But she didn't want to think of it now. She tore out another root of the soil and slammed it on the pass made of stone beside her. This day was hot.

Continuous the sun burned down on her back. She knew she was working too hard.

Too hard for her age. Too hard for her illness. But that was a reason why she did.

She hadn't told about her illness. Two years ago one of the doctors in hospital had discovered lung cancer. First she didn't want to accept this. But more and more she´d noticed by herself that it was right.

She never had said anything about it to her husband or to her daughter. Somehow, though she was certain it never would happen, she was afraid that she´s be alone then. Not even anyone of her family knew. She´d kept silent about her tumour.

In the last few weeks she´d imagined it would slowly come and kill her. How the doctor had said. It was his job, telling his patients about their illnesses. But when the patients didn't want to hear?

Of course, she loved her life, her husband, her daughter, her two brothers...she excused herself with saying that she didn't want to make them worry about her. That all of them should live their lives without ever worrying about her.

Another root and a cloud of dust and dry earth made their way down on the stone pass. It hadn't rained for days now. She was sorrowed about the vegetables she had planted last year with Mary.

She´d been so glad to have her daughter around for a whole week. Always in the knowledge that it could be the last time she saw her. First they´d worked all day in the sun, but then it began to rain, and with wet cloths they´d eventually hurried inside.

From there they´d watched the thunderstorm. It always had been amazing, she thought. In one second the sky was dark and in the next unexpected bright. And then the thunder rolled over the city, leaving a slight murmur behind.

They´d sat down on the kitchen table, glancing out the window. "There´s a new series on. Do you think they´ll consult you?" she´d asked her daughter and shivered a bit.

"Dunno. Maybe, maybe not. My new _boss_ isn't very…has still her own way. No one like my old ones. They always did what I said, or did right the opposite of it. But it´s good having someone who doesn't accepts everything."

She´d laughed about her daughters answer. "I know someone else, either doing what I say, doing right the opposite of it or is arguing with me for a while."

Mary had leaned back in false surprise. "You don't talk of me, do you, mom?"

"Wouldn't dare." She´d grinned. They had talked on like this the whole evening. And when the grey haired Dr. Blythe had come home she´d made dinner with her daughter.

Now smirking about this evening Charlotte heard the door clap. "I´m in Mom. Dad´ll come later." She heard her daughter shout from the entrance door. She´d moved out, but came at least two times a month by to talk to her mother and father. Asking what was going on at the moment.

"I´m in the garden." She shouted back.

"Don´t do too much, you´re not as young anymore as you pretend to be."

"This is a compliment." She laughed, though she knew she´d better take her daughters advise. If it wasn't for her age then for her cancer.

"Always. Mom, you know." She heard her daughter´s voice.

Nearly two hours later the sun rose to its zenith, making it almost impossible to do work outside.

Anyway Charlotte regretted she´d only drunk one cup of tea this morning. The loss of water was too high. With one hand she wiped away the fine tickles of sweat running down her face. She made her way to an open water canister and splashed herself with the cool water.

A little bit more refreshed she slowly went inside the house. Noticing that she stumbled a bit too often.

_Only the heat. It´s only the heat._ She told herself.

When she entered the house, the heat immediately disappeared and coldness wrapped around her. This and the darkness made her dizzy. She needed to blink several times before her eyes adjusted to the seemingly dark.

She saw the curls of her daughter, who stood in front of the table and sorted out different looking papers.

Charlotte sighed heavily and made herself fall down on a bench placed on the wall next to the table. She found it difficult to breathe.

"Dear, shall I get us some water?" she asked.

Mary stopped her work. "I´ll get us some. Are you fine?"

With one hand she runs through her hair. "Just…" she glanced down on the floor, closed her eyes and leaned back on the wall. "I´m feeling sick."

"I´ll get you a big glass of water." She heard her daughter say and disappear out of the room.

_Thank you, dear. _She thought, but couldn't bring herself to make her lips move anymore.


	17. Chapter 17

**First I want to thank Nr. Six for the review. That made my day :-)**

Chapter 17

As Alex came home, she woke up her computer. She clicked through the airport website till she found the "bording" button and got a bit sad. The last six seats were sold just five minutes ago. She opened her e-mail queue to send it to Paula and Kevin. She wondered how she could inform Dr Blythe.

As she noticed that she´d got an e-mail not even ten seconds ago she hesitated for a few moments. An address she didn't knew. Alex clicked at it, and it opened.

"Dear DCI Fielding," it read. She grimaced.

"I know I shouldn't have your e-mail address, but it was written down on some of the papers DS McIntyre lost. I couldn't resist. Hope you don't mind. Say hello to Ben from me.

I saw you hadn't bought the tickets yet, so I did it before someone else can do.

Sincerely yours,

Michael

P.S.: It´s always a pleasure to meet you."

A light smile escaped from her lips as she read it and finally closed her account to arrange everything.

First Alex packed her suitcase, and then Bens. When she was ready, it already was past midnight.

She went in Ben´s room. "Ben, wake up." She softly shook him.

"Mmh?" he mumbled sleeping.

"Wake up. In three to four hours we´re going to be on plane, there you can sleep again."

"´lane? We´re visiting family?" Ben was still sleepy but sat up now. Eyes still closed.

"We are going to visit Tony. But we won´t be alone. Just wait and see."

"´s not here? Where´s he then?"

"Moscow." She answered.

"Russia? What´s he doing there?"

"Enjoying to be alone…I honestly don't know, but I´m certain not that what he probably should do." She kissed him on the forehead. "Come on. Change cloths."

"Woah, mom! I´m grown up." He laid back and then sat up again.

"But you´re awake now." She grinned. Alex stood up. "Very grown up when you can´t go swimming on your own." She said leaving his room.

Some hours later she sat in the board café, watching out the window. She knew they were early.

"Why are we that early?" Ben asked -of course he´d noticed too- seeing someone familiar stepping in the café. He blinked several times. "Oh, see. What´s Michael doing here?"

"He?" Alex snapped out of her thoughts. "Who´s what? I´m sorry Ben, I hadn't listened."

"Nothing." He said frowning, seeing Michael laying his finger against his lips and slightly shaking his head.

Alex watched his expression. "Have you seen Paula? She´s with us." She said hoping to explain her son´s reaction to her former question.

"I see," Ben answered. _Paula too, where that leading to? Who else?_

"Think I hadn't seen Paula yet. But I don't wonder about, it´s way too early in the morning." She maybe wouldn't have had reacted that strongly if it had been Kevin´s voice.

"Ye…wow" she almost jerked up. Resting her head in her hand as Michael sat down she said: "Never do it again. I guess you two still know each other. Half of us is here."

"I was right, not even seven hours." He said glancing at his watch.

Alex said nothing response.

"Has your mom said hello to you from me?" Michael asked watching at Ben.

"No," Ben shrugged and then glanced at Alex. "Mom?"

"I´m sorry Ben, what had you said?" she forced herself to concentrate on her son.

"You hadn't said hello to Ben like I asked you." Michael accused her.

"Now you can do it on your own." She replied. "Besides, I hadn't read your mail."

"Liar." He quoted. She made a face and watched away. Obeying other people in this café. She´d remembered why she´d felt that déjà vu last night. …

She´d asked the same question like Tony had done some years ago. Now she was positive about how he must´ve felt back then. Like an outcast. They all were somehow connected with each other. He and Ben were…not belonging to it.

She had no more time to muse over the direction of her thoughts because someone else stepped into her sight.

"Dr. Blythe. Good you found us." She rose from her seat and shook the old man´s hand.

"Good Morning." He shook hands with the other two. "You are Ben, right?"the old man asked concerned.

"Yeah. Who are you?" the small boy asked back.

Michael used his distraction and held an envelope in front of Alex eyes. She blinked several times before she took it and then looked at him questioningly.

"The tickets. You wanted to buy them." He explained with a wry smile.

"Be glad I did." She replied and muttered a thanks.

Finally, when Paula and Kevin had arrived and they were on plane, Paula sat down beside Kevin. She was the last traveler taking her seat. Left of her was the plane´s hallway and on the right side of her sat Kevin and then two other people she didn't know. In front of her sat Michael, next to him Alex, she´d protested to get another seat but failed thoroughly, then Ben and Dr. Blythe. It was because Dr. Blythe needed to sit next to a window and he and Ben had a conversation. And she demanded to sit next to her son. Plus one other guest had grown impatient with Michael and had forced him either to sit next to someone looking like hundred year old and quite eccentric or next to Alex. So, he´d gratefully accepted a slightly moody companion than someone with the smell of…somewhere between chemistry factory and graveyard.

Alex had the seat between Ben and Michael. She only hoped that Michael wouldn't get the idea to ask something about her life.

But he destroyed her hope as far as possible.

"Where´s the Daddy to your sweet Ben?" he asked.

"Don't know." She answered in a sharp voice. Making obvious that she wouldn't tell more about this issue.

"Oh. Sorry."

She shook her head. "What about you?"

"Since even my sister left me I´m a permanent single. She took Nelson along." when his answer wasn't serious it was true.

"Nelson?" questionably she raised one brow.

"Her dear cat." He sighed theatrically. "I think he liked Tony more than me."

"No; I had neither pats nor siblings." She mumbled.

"That explains everything." He stated. She looked at him, but knew it was a mistake in the moment he did. "Case of spoilt only child." He broke into laughter.

"Hadn´t heard this. I could arrest you." She couldn't help but giggle.

"Who are you?" asked Ben curiously.

"Tony´s dad." The old man smiled softly.

"Why hadn't he told anything about you?" Ben wanted to know.

"He didn't know that I existed." He explained.

"Why not?"

"Vanessa hadn't told him about me."

"Who´s Vanessa?"

"She´s his mother." Without hesitation Edmund answered Ben´s questions.

"Then why hadn't he told anything about his mom?"

"I don't know Ben. She hadn't told me of him either."

"Excuse me Michael. I only need to…" she smiled ruefully and gestured at him.

Michael stood up to let her pass. "Of course."

When she came back, Michaels seat was empty, and hers taken.

"What was that about the only child?" she asked, sitting down on his seat. Michael turned around, smiling apologizing.

"Ben asked me something and I thought it would be rude to talk over an empty seat. So I took yours."

She pf-ed and folded her arms across her chest.

"You think?"

"I think."

"Really?"

"Really really."

"Are you sure?"

"Am I?"

"Shouldn't you answer Ben´s question?"

"I certainly should."

"But…?"

"We´re talking now."

"Are we?"

"Yeah, and that would be impolite."

That was when Alex phone began to ring. She ignored it.

"Shouldn't you answer the phone?"

"I certainly should."

"But…?"

"We´re talking now."

"Are we?"

"I think so, yes. What do you think?"

"I?"

"You?"

Ben, who had enough of it, answered the phone. "Hey, grandpa…. That´s nice." And caught Alex attention. She leaned over to Ben, involuntary pressing her head in Michaels lab. "Ben give me the phone, please."

"I thought you´re talking." Replied Ben.

"It´s obvious that he´s your son. There´s no doubt." Michael said, grinning. _Same logic as your mother. _ "Ben, this time I´ll support your mother. She´s right. Give her the phone."

"Here"

"Thank you." She wanted to sit up again, but winced as she tilted her head upwards. "Ow."

"You hung yourself in my coat. Shall I help you?" he stated.

"No, it´s all very fine. I can do that alone. Thanks for request." she sighed. Trying again to get herself free, "I can..."

Ben had gripped the phone again.

"Are you sure?" Michael asked.

"Of course I´m sure. Just need to get my hair out of your coat."

"Sorry, but Mom can´t speak now…. She´s kind of, kind of, …attached to Michael…"

"Ben!" she couldn´t even glance at him. Just her voice told her thoughts about Ben´s answer.

"…Carol's brother… … …Tony's girlfriend… … …Dr. Blythe son… … …Maryann's father… … …Tony's half sister… … …"

"Ben, please give me the phone. Don't tell such a damn…"

He did as asked.

"Darling, who´s that Michael?" her father asked, in a quite sorrowed voice.

"Someone I attacked with an umbrella." She heard Michael chuckle about that. And immediately threw her fist at his knee. A thing which only made him chuckle more.

"What means you´re attached?"

"I hung myself in his coat." She explained, hearing Michael giggle. "Not funny at all." She shot in his direction, throwing her fist this time directionless in the air, hoping to hit him somehow. "Be happy that I´m not in charge to do worse." She whispered before turning at the phone again as he caught her hand, and held it up.

"How does your head come near his coat?"

"Dad, I´m a grown up woman. I wanted Ben to give me the phone."

"What´s that Michael doing at your house?" he was suspicious.

"We´re at a plane. Moscow. Visiting a colleague…I know it sounds a bit strange, but everything is fine."

"All right Darling. What I want to ask was whether you planned to visit me. Would be nice to have you around again."

"Sorry, like I said, we´re on plane at the moment.. You can come over by Christmas. Ben will be happy. Maybe a big family party after so many years." She guessed.

"Would be nice. I can call around. Think they would like the idea."

"Dad?

"Mh?"

"Take care of you, please. For Ben and me."

"Christmas then. Will you be alone or…?"

"Oh, please. Dad! Alone I think." She finally answered.

"Bye Darling, see you."

"Yeah, see you. Bye." She switched off the phone and leant back as she always did, but then noticed her head was still resting in Michael's lab.

She felt Michael inhaling to say something, but she lifted her other hand to interrupt him.

"No, thank you. I can do that on my own. It´s just a small button."

"Won´t ask again."

She fumbled in her hair and tried to get it loose (with only one hand, he still had her other hand in his), instead it seemed to round tighter around it. After ten minutes she finally gave up.

"You´re right. Would you be so kind and help me?" she asked, lying back again.

"Always do." He replied and began to unwind her hair, now letting go of her hand. "I suppose your neck is hurting." He said as she attempted to sit up normally.

"I suppose you´re right at this point."

"You admitted I was right. Two times in row."

"At this point." She was still lying in his lab, even if she was free again."Now, I´m going to set my neck at the right place again if you don't complain."

She lifted her head again a bit. This time without any hurt. Suddenly she felt Michael hands at her neck.

"Setting it back in place. Not that you get a stiff throat." He explained before she could say something about his behavior.

"Men have a harder time to explain a stiff throat." She repeated feeling the tension sweep away.

"Why?" he asked a bit confused.

First she controlled whether Ben was listening. He didn't so she answered.

"Viagra. Swallow fast. Otherwise you´ll get a stiff throat." She chuckled.

"Yep, only child."


End file.
